Former Interim President Chief Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan Is Dead

Chief Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan born on 9 May 1936 in Lagos, Colonial Nigeria has bowed out of the race of life at 82.

The British-trained Nigerian lawyer, industrialist, politician and traditional chieftain who celebrated his 82nd birthday in May has been a bit slow of late due to age, however, he has managed to attend many national and social functions in spite of old age.

He was popularly known as the Interim President, an office he held between 26 August 1993 to 17 November 1993. His First Lady was Mrs. Margaret Shonekan. He was succeeded by late Gen.Sani Abacha in a palace coup. General Sani Abacha became the Head of State after that.

Babangida resigned under pressure to cede control to a democratic government. Shonekan’s transitional administration only lasted three months, as a palace coup led by General Sani Abacha forcefully dismantled the remaining democratic institutions and brought the government back under military control on 17 November 1993.

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Prior to his political career, Shonekan was the chief executive of the United African Company of Nigeria PLC, a large Nigerian conglomerate.

Born and raised in Lagos, the former Nigerian capital and the son of an Abeokuta-born civil servant, Ernest was one of six children born into the family. He was educated at C.M.S grammar school and Igbobi College, Lagos. He also attended and received a Law degree from the University of London, and was later called to the bar.

He joined UAC in 1964, and was later sent to Harvard Business School. At UAC, he pursued a legal path; a few years after joining the company, he was promoted to the position of assistant legal adviser. He became a deputy adviser two years later, and soon joined the board.

In 1980, he was made chairman and chief executive of UAC. As head of UAC, he was the chief executive of the largest African-controlled company in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He served Nigeria in various capacities and continued to render his service to the fatherland on national issues until the very end.

The curtains fell for him today and he bowed gracefully out of the stage.

May his soul rest in peace.