Olusegun Obasanjo is presented as an unusual figure in Nigeria’s post-independence political history because he led the country first as a military ruler and later as an elected civilian president. His first period in power belongs to the era of military governments that repeatedly interrupted civilian administration. Nearly two decades later, voters returned him to national office.

The source states that Obasanjo gained popularity by handing government back to civilian rule with a new constitution in 1979, after twelve years of military rule. When Nigeria again sought a democratic leader under the constitution implemented in 1999, voters chose Obasanjo. His career therefore links two important transitions in the country’s struggle between military and civilian government.

In March 2003, Obasanjo was reelected with 62 percent of the vote in an election described as hotly contested and marked by violence. Monitors reported stolen ballot boxes, fraudulent vote counts, intimidation at polling stations, vote buying, and other irregularities. More than thirty-five people died in election-related violence, while observers disagreed over whether the result represented a serious setback or an important test of democratic stability.