Breaking: Former Head of Interim Government Ernest Shonekan Dies at 85
Lawyer and former Head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan has passed on at the age of 85.
Born on May 9, 1936, Shonekan trained and qualified as a Nigerian lawyer before joining the popular United Africa Company of Nigeria (UAC) in 1964. He rose through the ranks at UAC and became the company’s assistant legal adviser before subsequently joining UAC’s board of directors at the age of 40.
Shonekan became UAC’s chairman and managing director in 1980, and went on to cultivate a wide array of international business and political connections.
On 2 January 1993, Ernest Shonekan assumed office simultaneously as head of transitional council and head of government under military President Ibrahim Babangida. At the time, the transitional council was designed to be the final phase leading to a scheduled hand over to a democratically elected government.
In August 1993, Babangida resigned from office, following the annulment of the 12 June elections. He signed a decree establishing the Interim National Government led by Ernest Shonekan. Consequently, Shonekan was sworn in as Nigeria’s Head of State on August 26, 1993 and remained in office until November 17, 1993.
