Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has explained why he left the Nigerian Army at the age of 42 and ventured into farming, saying he had reached the highest rank and position he could attain in the military. Obasanjo said he decided to become a farmer after becoming a four-star general and serving as Nigeria's military Head of State, noting that he had nothing more to achieve in the Army.
The former president disclosed this while recounting his experience under the regime of former military Head of State, late Gen. Sani Abacha, in a video published by BBC News Pidgin on Tuesday. Following the assassination of Gen. Murtala Muhammed, Obasanjo became Nigeria's military Head of State on February 13, 1976, at the age of 38. He held the position until October 1, 1979, when he handed over power to Shehu Shagari.
Speaking about his decision to leave the Army and take up farming, Obasanjo said he had not planned to retire from the military at 42 but felt he had reached the peak of his career. He said, "When I was leaving government as military head of state, there was — I was leaving too early. I didn't join the army to retire at the age of 42. Now I had to retire at the age of 42. At the age of 42, I had become a four-star general. There's nothing else I can do in the army. I've become the military head of state. That's the highest political office I could rise. So what can I do? I decided I would go into farming. It really was going well, and it went well until I was arrested."
Obasanjo, now 89, said his farming business was doing well before he was arrested under Abacha's regime, which lasted from November 17, 1993, until his death on June 8, 1998.
What did Obasanjo say about his farming venture? He stated that he had not originally planned to retire from the military at 42, but felt he had reached the pinnacle of his career. At that age, he had already attained the rank of four-star general and served as Nigeria's military Head of State — the highest political office available within the armed forces. With no further advancement possible in the Army, he concluded that farming was the logical next step for his career.