Umaru Musa Yar’Adua

Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (born Aug. 16, 1951, Katsina, Nigeria—died May 5, 2010, Abuja) was a Nigerian politician who served as president of Nigeria (2007–10). His inauguration marked the first time in the country’s history that an elected civilian head of state had transferred power to another.

Yar’Adua was born to an elite Fulani family, and his birthplace was an important centre of Islamic learning. His family was prominent in both traditional and modern politics; his father served as a federal minister during the First Republic (1960–66), and his late elder brother, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, served in the military government of 1976–79. Yar’Adua received a university education at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria. From 1975 to 1983 he taught in various colleges and a polytechnic school before becoming a businessman, serving in management and as a director of many companies.

Yar’Adua first entered party politics as a mobilizer for the (now defunct) People’s Redemption Party. During the long transition program (1989–93) to restore the Nigerian government to civilian rule, he became a founding member of the Peoples’ Front, a political association led by his elder brother, which eventually became the core of the (now defunct) Social Democratic Party. Yar’Adua began concentrating on state politics in 1991, when he stood as a candidate in the Katsina state gubernatorial election, which he lost. Seven years later Yar’Adua participated in the founding of the K34 political association, which later merged with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He again ran for governor, winning election in 1999 and reelection in 2003. As state governor, he focused on the socioeconomic development of his state, with particular attention to the educational and health sectors, and was known for being financially prudent: not only did he pay down the huge state debt that he had inherited, but he also accumulated a $50 million surplus in the treasury.

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To the surprise of many, in 2006 Yar’Adua was selected by the Nigerian president and PDP leader, Olusegun Obasanjo, to be the PDP’s candidate in the presidential elections scheduled for the next year. Although Yar’Adua ran against several well-known and popular Nigerian military leaders and politicians, he went on to win a decisive landslide victory with 70 percent of the vote in the April 2007 election. His victory was clouded, however, as the election was marred by widespread violence, voter intimidation, and reports of vote rigging and was strongly criticized by domestic and international observers. Nonetheless, on May 29, 2007, in the capital of Abuja, he was inaugurated as Nigeria’s 13th president. The ceremony had particular historical significance, as it was the first time in the country’s history that an elected civilian head of state had handed over power to another.

Yar’Adua faced the enormous task of maintaining the development programs begun by his predecessor, establishing peace and reconciliation in the Niger delta, and continuing the war against widespread systemic corruption. He was subject to rumours regarding his health, as he had traveled abroad for medical treatment several times in the years prior to his presidency and continued to do so after his election. Yar’Adua’s ability to serve while dealing with health issues was called into question after he went to Saudi Arabia in late November 2009 for treatment of heart problems and kidney problems. After he had been absent from Nigeria for several weeks, critics complained of a power vacuum in the country, and there were calls for Yar’Adua to formally transfer power to the vice president, Goodluck Jonathan. Although a ruling by a Nigerian court on Jan. 29, 2010, indicated that Yar’Adua was not obligated to hand over power to the vice president while he was out of the country for medical treatment, the controversy surrounding his prolonged absence remained. On Feb. 9, 2010, the National Assembly voted to have Jonathan assume full power and serve as acting president until Yar’Adua was able to resume his duties. Jonathan agreed and assumed power later that day, but it was unclear whether or not the assumption of power was constitutional. When Yar’Adua returned to Nigeria on Feb. 24, 2010, it was announced that Jonathan would remain as acting president while Yar’Adua continued to recuperate. Yar’Adua never fully recovered, however, and died several weeks later. He was succeeded by Jonathan.