…only Nigerian who spent shortest time in office
…tasted power for 81days
Chief Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan GCFR (9 May 1936 – 11 January 2022), was in charge of the political entity known as Nigeria for almost eighty-one days before Late Gen Sani Abacha shoved him aside.
He won the hearts of many Nigerians as while reading his resignation letter he announced that he was doing it in an unusual meeting.
This immediately sent the signal across to all Nigerians that he was leaving office though an interim management arrangement but under an unusual situation.
A very successful business man who headed a multinational, the United Africa Company, UAC for several years before accepting the leadership of the interim government bequeathed to him by military President Ibrahim Babangida in 1993 after the June 12 political turmoil.
Shonekan is the only Nigerian head of government that spent only 81 days in office though the Nigerian military knew they could not leave government in a vacuum and foisted an interim arrangement to pave way for another khaki man.
His profile:
Chief Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan GCFR, titled Abese of Egbaland from 1981, was a Nigerian lawyer and statesman who served as the interim Head of State of Nigeria from 26 August 1993 to 17 November 1993.
Born: 9 May 1936 (age 85 years), Lagos
Spouse: Margaret Shonekan
Children: Korede Shonekan, Adeboye Shonekan, Kemi Shonekan, Yele Shonekan
Education: University of London (1962), Harvard Business School
Ernest Shonekan Early Life
Shonekan attended C.M.S grammar school and Igbobi College both in Lagos. He also attended and received a law degree from the University of London after which he was called to bar.
Ernest Shonekan Career
After being called to bar, Shonekan worked as the chief executive of United African Company PLC (UAC). He was a seasoned and proven businessman with a wide network. Because of his proven abilities and political neutrality, then president Ibrahim Babangida liked him and made him a prospective leader for his council of civilians-run government, a government which was in the midst of economic turmoil and later came to a political crisis. He was Head of the Transitional Council of Babangida ‘s government in 1993.
On January 2nd, 1993, Shonekan assumed office as the head of government affairs under the leadership of the military president Babangida. At the time, the transitional council was designed to be the final phase leading to a scheduled hand over to an elected democratic leader.
On August 26th, 1993, Shonekan was appointed the interim president of Nigeria by General Ibrahim Babangida. Shonekan assumed office to meet the Nation gradually moving towards meeting a stalemate. He made attempts to have the Nations’s debt cancelled but after the annulment of June 12 election most of the western powers imposed economic sanctions on Nigeria. He tried to set things straight but he loosely controlled the military.
Shonekan only stayed in office for a transitional period of three months before his administration was toppled by General Sani Abacha who forcefully brought Nigeria back to military control on November 17th, 1993.
Ernest Shonekan Personal Life
Shonekan is married to Margaret Shonekan and they have four children namely, Adeboye, Korede, Kemi and Yele. Since leaving government, he has taken the role of an elder statesman.
