Government Government of Nigeria President Nigeria
Description of Work:
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was born in 1951 into an aristocratic and prominent political Fulani family in Katsina. His father is a former Minister for Lagos during the First Republic, and his late elder brother served as an army general under Obasanjo. Yar'Adua went through extensive schooling and worked as a chemistry teacher until he went into business, and then politics in the 1980's.

Entering the private sector, he served as a director of many companies, including Habib Nigeria Bank Ltd. 1995-1999; Lodigiani Nigeria Ltd. 1987-1999, Hamada Holdings, 1983-1999; and Madara Ltd. Vom, Jos, 1987-1999. He was also Chairman of Nation House Press Ltd, Kaduna between 1995-1999.

In 1999, Yar'Adua ran for the Governorship election in Katsina and won. After winning the position he immediately declared his assets, becoming the first governor to publicly do so. He was re-elected in 2003. In 2000, during his administration as governor, Katsina became the fifth northern Nigerian state to adopt sharia, or Islamic law. In 2002 Amina Lawal, a woman from Katsina, was sentenced to death by stoning by a sharia court in the town of Bakori for committing adultery. The story attracted international attention.

In December, 2006, Yar'Adua was chosen as the presidential candidate of the ruling PDP for the April 2007 election, receiving 3,024 votes from party delegates; his closest rival trailed at only 372 votes. Yar'Adua's success in the primary was attributed to the support of incumbent President Olusegun Obasanjo, though this support sparked rumors of Yar'Adua being a "puppet" of Obasanjo who could not have won the nomination fairly. Others have claimed however, that it is Yar'Adua's spotless record, devoid of charges of corruption, that won him the nomination.

The presidential election, held on April 21, 2007, Yar'Adua won with 70% of the vote (24.6 million votes) according to official results released on April 23. The election was highly controversial and was strongly criticized by observers. The two primary opposition candidates, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP), and Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress (AC), rejected the results, believing the election to have been rigged in Yar'Adua's favor.

After the election, Yar'Adua proposed a government of national unity, bringing together two oppositin parties in 2007 (ANPP and PPA) to join his government. In a further campaign against corruption, Yar'Adua publicly revealed his declaration of assets, becoming the first Nigerian Leader to do so. This disclosure, which fulfilled a pre-election promise he made, was intended to set an example for other Nigerian politicians and discourage corruption.

His health has been a persistent issue however, as the president has been hospitalized for kidney problems, and a suspected heart attack.

(Information found at wikipedia.com and bbc.co.uk) 

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