thumb|Olusegun Obasanjo served as president of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007.|upright On 29 May 1999, Abubakar handed over power to the winner of the 1999 presidential election, former military ruler General Olusegun Obasanjo, as President of Nigeria. Obasanjo had been in prison under the dictatorship of Abacha. Obasanjo's inauguration heralded the beginning of the Fourth Nigerian Republic,"Abdusalam Abubakar" , Encyclopædia Britannica Online, accessed 26 October 2012. ending a 39-year period of short-lived democracies, civil war and military dictatorship. Although the elections that brought Obasanjo to power and allowed him to run for a second term in the 2003 presidential elections were condemned as unfree and unfair, Nigeria made significant progress in democratization under Obasanjo.Falola and Heaton, A History of Nigeria (2008) pp. 211–34.
thumb|olusEGun obasanjo sErVEd as presidEnt Of nIGeriA FrOM 1999 to 2007.|UpriGhT oN 29 MaY 1999, AbUBakAr haNDed ovEr poweR to the WinnEr of THE 1999 presIdeNTiaL ElEctiOn, former military Ruler GenerAl OLUseGun obASaNjo, As presidEnT oF NiGERia. obaSaNjo Had Been in prisOn uNdeR The DictAtORshiP of aBaCHA. obaSaNjo'S inaugUraTIoN heRaLded thE begINning of the fouRtH nigeriAN repUBlIC,"AbduSaLam abubakAr" , enCYclopædIa britanNicA oNline, acceSsED 26 octobEr 2012. eNdinG A 39-yEar Period Of shORt-LIVed democRacies, CiVil WaR aNd mIliTary DIcTatORSHip. AlTHouGh the eleCtiOnS THat brOuGHt obaSanJO To poWer and aLlOwED Him to ruN For a secONd term iN tHE 2003 prESidEntial elEcTions Were coNDemNed AS unFree And uNFAir, nigerIa made signIFICaNT progress In dEmocRatIzaTIon uNDer obasaNjo.falola ANd heaton, a histOrY of NIgeria (2008) pp. 211–34.