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Umaru Yar'Adua, who died on May 5 aged 58, became president of Nigeria in 2007 and set about grappling with the nation's chronic problems of poverty, public health and political corruption; he also appointed himself energy minister, a brief that covered the huge oil reserves in the Niger Delta.
Yar'Adua was an obscure state governor with a reputation as an energetic and effective political activist when he succeeded Olusegun Obasanjo in the first non-military transfer of power since Nigeria achieved independence from Britain in 1960 following a century of colonial rule.
Late Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua, aged 58
His presidential victory was controversial: not only was he the nominee of the outgoing Obasanjo and considered by many to be his puppet, but also the election, in which Yar'Adua had swept to power with 70 per cent of the poll, had been marked by allegations of rigging and gross fraud.
Yar'Adua was a Muslim, and in 2000, as governor of the northern Nigerian state of Katsina, had introduced sharia law to his fiefdom. When a sharia court sentenced a local woman to death by stoning for committing adultery, the story attracted headlines around the world and her sentence was overturned on appeal. But overall, Yar'Adua's gubernatorial record was flawless, and he remained untainted by the usual whiff of corruption.
Claim of Transparency:
As president, his claim to transparency even extended to fulfilling a promise – made during the campaign – to disclose the size of his financial assets, by way of an example to other Nigerian politicians. These were said to amount to some $5 million, or £2.5 million.
Health Problem:
Umaru Yaradua's principal problem was his health:He suffered from a chronic kidney condition, and during the run-up to his presidential bid in early 2007 rumours circulated that he had collapsed with a heart attack. Although he had flown to Germany for treatment, his office attributed his medical problems to stress; and Yar'Adua himself dismissed the speculation and, in an attempt to silence his critics, challenged his critics to a game of squash.
The rumours multiplied, however, in November 2009 when he was flown to a clinic in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for treatment for pericarditis, an inflammation of the membrane around the heart. By February 2010 the country was languishing in a dangerous power vacuum, and the Nigerian senate transferred presidential powers to Yar'Adua's deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, pending the president's full return to health. Rumours swirled about his health, and his prolonged absence led to protests about the lack of clear lines of authority in a country of 150 million people. A fortnight later, Yar'Adua flew back to Abuja. Not long after his return, he died at the State house, Aso rock at about 9pm.
With Mr Yar'Adua's death, Mr Jonathan automatically became the substantive head-of-state of one of the world's leading oil producers, and as such completed the late Mr Yar'Adua's term of office, which expired in May 2011.
Birth & Marriage:
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was born on August 16 1951 in the northern Nigerian state of Katsina, into an aristocratic family of the Fulani tribe. His father had been a post-independence minister for Lagos, and Umaru inherited his royal title of Mutawellen (custodian of the treasury) of the Katsina emirate. After attending the government college at Keffi and Barewa College, he was awarded a BSc in Education and Chemistry at Ahmadu Bello University in 1975 and an MSc in Analytical Chemistry five years later.
Umaru Yar’Adua married his wife Turai in 1975; she survives him with their seven children. He took a second wife, with whom he had two children, in 1992, but they divorced five years later.
Yar'Adua was an obscure state governor with a reputation as an energetic and effective political activist when he succeeded Olusegun Obasanjo in the first non-military transfer of power since Nigeria achieved independence from Britain in 1960 following a century of colonial rule.
Late Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua, aged 58
His presidential victory was controversial: not only was he the nominee of the outgoing Obasanjo and considered by many to be his puppet, but also the election, in which Yar'Adua had swept to power with 70 per cent of the poll, had been marked by allegations of rigging and gross fraud.
Yar'Adua was a Muslim, and in 2000, as governor of the northern Nigerian state of Katsina, had introduced sharia law to his fiefdom. When a sharia court sentenced a local woman to death by stoning for committing adultery, the story attracted headlines around the world and her sentence was overturned on appeal. But overall, Yar'Adua's gubernatorial record was flawless, and he remained untainted by the usual whiff of corruption.
Claim of Transparency:
As president, his claim to transparency even extended to fulfilling a promise – made during the campaign – to disclose the size of his financial assets, by way of an example to other Nigerian politicians. These were said to amount to some $5 million, or £2.5 million.
Health Problem:
Umaru Yaradua's principal problem was his health:He suffered from a chronic kidney condition, and during the run-up to his presidential bid in early 2007 rumours circulated that he had collapsed with a heart attack. Although he had flown to Germany for treatment, his office attributed his medical problems to stress; and Yar'Adua himself dismissed the speculation and, in an attempt to silence his critics, challenged his critics to a game of squash.
The rumours multiplied, however, in November 2009 when he was flown to a clinic in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for treatment for pericarditis, an inflammation of the membrane around the heart. By February 2010 the country was languishing in a dangerous power vacuum, and the Nigerian senate transferred presidential powers to Yar'Adua's deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, pending the president's full return to health. Rumours swirled about his health, and his prolonged absence led to protests about the lack of clear lines of authority in a country of 150 million people. A fortnight later, Yar'Adua flew back to Abuja. Not long after his return, he died at the State house, Aso rock at about 9pm.
With Mr Yar'Adua's death, Mr Jonathan automatically became the substantive head-of-state of one of the world's leading oil producers, and as such completed the late Mr Yar'Adua's term of office, which expired in May 2011.
Birth & Marriage:
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was born on August 16 1951 in the northern Nigerian state of Katsina, into an aristocratic family of the Fulani tribe. His father had been a post-independence minister for Lagos, and Umaru inherited his royal title of Mutawellen (custodian of the treasury) of the Katsina emirate. After attending the government college at Keffi and Barewa College, he was awarded a BSc in Education and Chemistry at Ahmadu Bello University in 1975 and an MSc in Analytical Chemistry five years later.
Umaru Yar’Adua married his wife Turai in 1975; she survives him with their seven children. He took a second wife, with whom he had two children, in 1992, but they divorced five years later.