Nigeria, July 28 -- History is often kinder to the dead than to the living. It sands away rough edges, softens harsh judgments and, over time, transforms flawed leaders into national icons. Yet, there are rare public figures whose lives stubbornly resist simplification. They remain objects of admiration and controversy in equal measure, long after they have left office. Nigeria's former President, General Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo, belongs unmistakably to that exclusive class.

For more than six decades, Obasanjo has stood at the crossroads of Nigeria's political evolution. Soldier. Civil war commander. Military head of state. Prisoner. Democratically elected president. International statesman. Farmer. Author. Relentless commentator on nati...