Olusegun Obasanjo, Nelson Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah: 11 African leaders wey serve jail term bifor dem take power of dia kontri

For April 2017, Zambian police arrest Hakainde Hichilema, wey be opposition leader at dat time, and charge am wit treason.

Di charges come from one incident wia dem allege say im vehicle block di passage of President Edgar Lungu convoy.

Hichilema deny di allegations, while human rights groups condemn di arrest and di use of treason charges against am.

E spend nearly four months for prison from April to August 2017.

Dem later clear am of di charges and release am on August 16, 2017.

Afta e lose several elections, Hichilema successfully defeat Edgar Lungu for di 2021 elections.

On August 24, 2021, dem swear am in as President of Zambia.

Hichilema win di presidential election again for August 2026, e allow am to begin second term as Zambia president.

Dem arrest am for April 2023 afta one message wey e post for social media, wia dem charge am wit spreading false informatio and obstructing di administration of justice.

Dem arrest Bassirou Diomaye Faye for time wen Senegal dey experience serious political wahala between opposition leader Ousmane Sonko and di govment of President Macky Sall.

Dem arrest Faye on April 14, 2023, and e remain for custody until March 2024, nearly 11 months.

Dem release am shortly bifor di presidential election afta dem pardon am.

Faye win di March 2024 presidential election, and dem swear am in as President of Senegal on April 2, 2024.

Faye still be di president of Senegal, and e don dey power for almost two years and four months.

Alpha Condé na opposition politician wey oppose di rule of President Lansana Conté for Guinea.

Afta di 1998 presidential election, dem arrest Condé near di border of Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire.

Dem accuse am of attempting to leave Guinea illegally, resisting arrest, and plotting to overthrow di govment.

Dem later find am guilty on charges wey relate to threats to national security.

Dem arrest Condé for December 1998 and release am for May 2001, afta e spend nearly two and a half years for detention.

Condé win Guinea 2010 presidential election and take office for December of dat year.

E serve as president for 11 years, from 2010 to 2021.

However, dem remove am from power in for one military coup for September 2021.

Dem arrest Former Nigerian military leader Olusegun Obasanjo for 1995 during di military rule of General Sani Abacha, afta dem accuse am of involvement in a coup plot.

Obasanjo deny di allegations against am.

Di case attract criticism from many quarters, especially afta dem sentence am to life imprisonment, wey dem later reduce to 15 years for prison.

E spend almost three years for prison, from 1995 to 1998.

Dem release am afta Abacha die for 1998.

Obasanjo later win di 1999 Nigerian presidential election and dem swear am in on May 29, 1999.

E rule Nigeria as president for two terms, do eight years for power from 1999 to 2007.

Jacob Zuma enta di ANC (African National Congress), wia e later bicom member of Umkhonto we Sizwe, di ANC military wing wey fight against apartheid.

Dem arrest am for 1963 while e dey try leave South Africa wit oda members of di group.

Dem convict am under di apartheid penal code and sentence am to 10 years for prison from 1963 to 1973, most of am for Robben Island.

E be only 21 years old wen dem send am go prison.

E later bicom President of South Africa on 9 May 2009.

E lead di kontri from 2009 to 2018.

E resign from im position for February 2018 afta e face serious pressure from im ANC party.

Robert Mugabe be one of di leading opponents of white rule for Southern Rhodesia, wey dem now call Zimbabwe.

Dem arrest am afta e return to di kontri for late 1963.

Dem accuse am of making inflammatory statements, bicos of im links wit di ZANU liberation movement.

Even say dem first sentence am to short prison term, dem hold am for several years as di white govment crack down on opponents of im rule.

Mugabe spend almost 11 years for prison, from 1963 to 1974.

While e dey prison, e kontinu im political activities, wey include giving lectures to oda prisoners.

Afta Zimbabwe gain independence for 1980 and Mugabe later bicom di kontri Prime Minister.

For 1987 e bicom President of Zimbabwe.

E be president for 30 years, from 1987 to 2017.

E resign for November 2017 afta di military intervene for di kontri politics, and im party turn against am and demand make e step down.

For 1958, afta e spend several years abroad, Hastings Banda return to Nyasaland, wey now be Malawi.

E be di leader of di Nyasaland African Congress, and e strongly oppose di Central African Federation, one group wey many African nationalists see as way to further white supremacy.

For 1959, di colonial govment declare martial law and ban di party. Di exception na one of di leaders wey dem arrest.

Dem hold am for prison for about 13 months, from March 1959 to April 1960.

Wen di kontri gain independence for 1964, dem elect am as Prime Minister of Malawi.

Banda bicom di first president of Malawi, afta di kontri bicom republic for 1966.

E rule di kontri for 28 years, from 1966 to 1994.

Dem later remove am from power afta di kontri first multi-party elections for 1994.

Kwame Nkrumah be one of di most prominent leaders wey fight for independence in Ghana, wey dem call di Gold Coast.

For 1950, e launch im famous “Positive Action” movement, wey include strikes, demonstrations, and non-cooperation wit di British colonial govment.

Di colonial govment arrest am and accuse am of sedition.

Dem send am go prison for 1950, but dem release am on February 12, 1951 afta im Convention People’s Party (CPP) win di elections, for dat time e still dey prison.

E spend almost one year for prison.

Kwame Nkrumah win di election while e dey prison.

Dem elect am Prime Minister of di Gold Coast for 1952, and e later bicom Prime Minister of Ghana afta di kontri gain independence for 1957.

Nkrumah bicom di first president wen Ghana bicom Republic for 1960,

E rule for six years, from 1960 to 1966.

Dem overthrow im govment for coup for February 1966.

Jomo Kenyatta be one of di leaders wey fight for Kenya independence and oppose British colonial rule.

Afta declaring martial law for October 1952, di colonial govment launch crackdown to arrest Kenya political leaders. Kenyatta dey among dos wey dem arrest.

Di colonial govment accuse Kenyatta say e be di leader of di Mau Mau movement, wey dem associate wit rebellion against colonialism.

Howeva, Kenyatta don repeatedly deny say e be di leader of di group.

Dem arrest Kenyatta on October 20, 1952, and e remain for detention until 1961.

Dem detain am for different prisons across Kenya.

Afta dem release am, dem appoint Kenyatta Prime Minister of Kenya for 1963, di same year wey di kontri gain independence.

For 1964, when Kenya bicom republic, e bicom di kontri first president.

E rule di kontri for 14 years, from 1964 to 1978.

Jomo Kenyatta die on August 22, 1978.

Nelson Mandela be one of di greatest world leaders wey fight to end di apartheid system wey exist for South Africa.

E join di African National Congress (ANC), and later help form im military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, afta di govment intensify crackdown on dissent.

For 1962, dem arrest Mandela and convict am for leaving di kontri witout permission and encouraging workers to go on strike.

Later, for di famous Rivonia trial, dem find am and oda ANC leaders guilty of subversion and plotting to overthrow di govment.

Mandela spend 27 years for prison, from 1962 to February 11, 1990.

Dem hold am for different prisons, including di notorious Robben Island prison.

Dem swear am in as president of South Africa on May 10, 1994, afta di first multi-racial elections.

E lead di kontri as president for five years, from 1994 to 1999.

Afta e comple im first term, Mandela decide to step down from power witout seeking re-election.

Afta di 1988 presidential election, Abdoulaye Wade and oda opposition leaders allege fraud, leading to widespread protests for di kontri.

Dem arrest Wade for participating in anti-govment protests and sentence am, but dem no imprison am.

Dem arrest am again for 1994 afta dem accuse am of involvement in di murder of one govment official.

Dem later clear am of di charges.

Im arrest no last long, compared wit other leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Jomo Kenyatta or Zuma.

Wade win di 2000 presidential election, and lead Senegal for 12 years, from 2000 to 2012.