The head of the interim national government, Ernest Shonekan, is dead.
He was aged 85.

He was in charge of the country’s helm of affairs between August 26 and November 17, 1993.

Passing away at 85, Mr Shonekan ended his time as the third oldest surviving Nigerian head of state by age after Elizabeth II and Yakubu Gowon.

Mr Shonekan died at Evercare hospital, Lekki, Lagos.

At the time of filing this report, no cause of death has been revealed and no official statement released by the family.

Mr Shonekan served as the interim head of a puppet Nigerian government, put in place by the junta of Ibrahim Babangida, a military dictator. Mr Shonekan’s time in office was brief as he was ousted in a coup led by Gen. Sani Abacha.

Mr Shonekan was born and raised in Lagos. He was educated at the CMS Grammar School and Igbobi College, Lagos, and obtained a law degree from the University of London. Mr Shonekan later attended Harvard Business School.

Mr Shonekan joined the United Africa Company of Nigeria in 1964, rising through the ranks in the company to be an assistant legal adviser. In 1994, Mr Shonekan founded the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.