  , gcfr (;  ;with tone marking, his name is spelled . born circa 5 march 1938) is a former nigerian army general who was president of nigeria from 1999 to 2007. a nigerian of yoruba descent, obasanjo was a career soldier before serving twice as his nation's head of state, as a military ruler from 13 february 1976 to 1 october 1979 and as a democratically elected president from 
1937_births African_Union_chairpersons Commonwealth_Chairpersons-in-Office Grand_Commanders_of_the_Order_of_the_Federal_Republic_(Nigeria) Living_people Nigerian_Baptists Nigerian_engineers Obasanjo_family People\'s_Democratic_Party_(Nigeria)_politicians People_from_Abeokuta Presidents_of_Nigeria Recipients_of_Nigeria_Centenary_Awards Recipients_of_the_Indira_Gandhi_Peace_Prize Vice_Presidents_of_Nigeria Yoruba_politicians