Chief Ernest Shonekan, the former head of the Interim National Government that succeeded the military junta of General Ibrahim Babangida, is dead.
Shonekan who is married to Margaret Shonekan died at Evercare hospital in Lekki, Lagos state, at the age of 85.
He was the Chairman of the interim National Government between August 26 and November 17 1993 when he was ousted in a palace coup led by late General Sani Abacha who was Secretary of Defence.
A quick dive into his biography, Chief Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan is a Nigerian lawyer and statesman who served as the interim Head of State of Nigeria from 26 August 1993 to 17 November 1993.
Prior to this, he was given a chieftancy title; Abese of Egbaland from 1981 he was the chairman and chief executive of the United African Company of Nigeria (successor of The Niger Company). The UAC was a vast Nigerian conglomerate at that time and the largest African-controlled company in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Shonekan started his political journey On 2 January 1993, as he assumed ffice simultaneously as head of transitional council and head of government under Ibrahim Babangida.
When Babangida resigned in August 1993 following June 12 Annulment, he signed a decree establishing the Interim National Government led by Shonekan who was subsequently sworn-in as head of state.
However three months into his administration in Nov 1993, Shonekan was overthrown in palace coup by Abacha.
He founded the Nigerian Economic Summit Group an advocacy group and think-tank for private sector-led development of the Nigerian economy in 1994.
Since then Shonekan has gone on to feature prominently as an elder statesman, he is the third oldest surviving Nigerian head of state by age after Elizabeth II and Yakubu Gowon