Ahmed Usman

In August 1996, Usman was deployed to Oyo State to be governor at a time of growing discontent about the military regime headed by Sani Abacha. On 12 May 1997, a bomb explosion in the state capital of Ibadan injured two soldiers and a policeman. Usman said the perpetrators were cowards.^[8] Two people were killed and about 20 wounded at the Salami Sports Stadium, Ibadan, in April 1998, when supporters of the United Action for Democracy (UAD) disrupted a pro-Abacha rally that had earlier been addressed by Colonel Usman.^[9]

Seven people were killed in 1998 May Day clashes between police and pro-democracy protesters. Usman blamed "foreign enemies" of supporting the violence.^[10] Later that month, Usman said security forces had been placed on red alert to stop any protest in the state capital, Ibadan.^[11] A few days later, thirty-seven Nigerians were arrested and charged with subversion, including educator and Oyo State National Democratic Coalition leader Lam Adesina, who later became Governor of the state in 1999.^[12] Usman said they would be treated as "prisoners of war". Three other people, one a prominent newspaper editor, were charged with subversion.^[13] Sani Abacha died in June 1998, and Usman was relieved of his position as governor in August 1998.^[3]

After the return to democracy in 1999, Usman entered private business and stayed out of politics until in August 2008, when he declared that he intended to run for governor of Kogi State in 2011.^[14] Running under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, he lost in the party primary election.^[3] He later expressed interest in running in the 2019 Kogi State gubernatorial election as well, as part of the All Progressives Congress, but ultimately did not enter the race.^[15]

Usman died on 14 April 2021 at the age of 69 in Jos, Plateau State, following an illness. His body was brought back to his hometown of Okura-Lafia, Kogi State, for an Islamic funeral.^[16] Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello offered condolences following Usman's death.^[17]