Former Nigerian President Shehu Shagari Dies At 93

Former President Shehu Shagari is dead. He died at the National Hospital Abuja on Friday. He was 93 years old.

The news was broken by the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, on his Twitter handle.

Tambuwal had tweeted:

I regret to Announce the death of former President Shehu Shagari who just passed away at National Hospital Abuja. May his Soul Rest in Peace.

His grandson, Bello Shagari, also announced his demise twitter. He tweeted:

I regret announcing the death of my grandfather, H.E Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who died right now after brief illness at the National hospital, Abuja.

In 1978, he became a founding member of the National Peoples Party. In 1979, Shagari was chosen by the party as the presidential candidate for general election that year, which he won, becoming the president.

Shagari ran for a second four-year term in 1983 and won the general election. However, on 31 December 1983, he was overthrown by then Maj. -Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

Shehu Usman Shagari was born in 1925 in Shagari village founded by his great-grandfather, Ahmadu Rufa’i, who was also the Village Head, and took the name Shagari as his family name. His father’s name was Aliyu and his mother’s name was Mariamu.