He came to power the usual way, and was consistently reelected (or "reelected", perhaps). But he was a stalwart and lynchpin against the jihad type.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56815708.amp
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56815708.amp