Obote, Apollo Milton

Related Category: African History: Biographies

(ōbō´tā), 1924–2005, president of Uganda (1966–71, 1980–85). Obote, a member of the legislative council of Uganda from 1957, founded (1960) the Uganda People's Congress. Prime minister from 1962 to 1966, he led a revolution, installing himself as president in 1966. Overthrown by Idi Amin in 1971, Obote fled to Tanzania. He returned with the Tanzanian-aided invasion (1979) and was reelected (1980) amid accusations of fraud. Factionalism led to an army coup in 1985 in which he was ousted a second time, and he again went into exile.