List of presidents of Nigeria
The president of Nigeria is the head of state and head of government of Nigeria, directly elected to a four-year term via the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Under the Nigerian Constitution, the officeholder leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. From 1960 to 1963, the presidents were called head of state. After the Independence of Nigeria on 1 October 1960, the first president, Elizabeth II, called the queen of Nigeria, was the monarch of the Commonwealth realm; she was represented by a governor-general. Nigeria became a republic under the 1963 constitution and the British monarch and governor-general were replaced by the president. Nnamdi Azikiwe was the Governor General after the independence but became the first President when Nigeria became a republic. He shared power with the elected Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.[1] Shehu Shagari was the first elected president of Nigeria.[2] The incumbent president is Bola Tinubu, who assumed office on 29 May 2023.[3][4] Since the office was established in 1963, 14 men have served in 16 presidencies; the discrepancy arises from two individuals who served two non-consecutive terms; as military head of states and as an elected President: Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari.[5]
After independence, James Wilson Robertson served as the governor-general for 46 days. The interim government of Ernest Shonekan, who was deposed 83 days after taking office in 1993, was the shortest in Nigeria's history.[6] Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, who served 194 days in office, was the shortest ruled military head of state. Yakubu Gowon served as the longest, for almost nine years, before being deposed in 1975 while he was away from the country.[7] Olusegun Obasanjo served as the longest ruled President, for over eleven years, two hundred and thirty days; of his combined two terms.[8]
Four heads of state died in office; two were assassinated during a military coup (Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi[9] and Murtala Muhammed[10]) and two died of natural causes (Sani Abacha and Umaru Musa Yar'Adua[11]). Five heads of state were deposed in a military coup (Nnamdi Azikiwe, Yakubu Gowon, Shehu Shagari, Muhammadu Buhari and Ernest Shonekan). Obasanjo and Abdulsalami Abubakar resigned after Nigeria's transition to democracy in 1979 and 1999 respectively, while Ibrahim Babangida was forced to resign after he canceled the 1993 Nigerian presidential election, which SDP candidate Moshood Abiola was reportedly the winner.[12] Obasanjo was the first Vice President (called Chief of Staff) to become the head of state during the 1976 military coup attempt,[13] while Goodluck Jonathan was the first democratic vice president to become head of state when Yar'Adua died of Illness on 5 May 2010.[14]
Presidents
[edit]Heads of state are indicated with a double dagger (‡).
First Republic (1963–1966)
[edit] |
|---|
 Nigeria portal |
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) |
Term | Party | Vice President |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .jpg)
|
Nnamdi Azikiwe (1904–1996) |
1 October 1963 – 16 January 1966 |
National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons | vacant[a] |
Military Government (1966–1999)
[edit]| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) |
Term | Party | Election | Vice President |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 
|
Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi (1924–1966) |
16 January 1966 – 29 July 1966 |
vacant | ||
| 3 | 
|
Yakubu Gowon (1934–) |
1 August 1966 – 29 July 1975 |
Supreme Military Council[15] | vacant | |
| 4 | 
|
Murtala Mohammed (1938–1976) |
29 July 1975 – 13 February 1976 |
vacant | ||
| 5 | 
|
Olusegun Obasanjo (1937–) |
13 February 1976 – 1 October 1979 |
vacant | ||
| 6 | 
|
Shehu Shagari[b] (1925–2018) |
1 October 1979 – 31 December 1983 |
National Party of Nigeria | 1979 1983 |
Alex Ekwueme |
| 7 | 
|
Muhammadu Buhari[c] (1942–) |
31 December 1983 – 27 August 1985 |
Supreme Military Council | ||
| 8 | 
|
Ibrahim Babangida (1941–) |
27 August 1985 – 26 August 1993 |
Armed Forces Ruling Council | ||
| 9 | _(cropped).jpg)
|
Ernest Shonekan[d] (1936–2022) |
26 August 1993 – 17 November 1993 |
Independent | ||
| 10 | 
|
Sani Abacha (1943–1998) |
17 November 1993 – 8 June 1998 |
Provisional Ruling Council | ||
| 11 | 
|
Abdulsalami Abubakar (1942–) |
9 June 1998 – 29 May 1999 |
Provisional Ruling Council |
Fourth Republic (1999–present)
[edit] |
|---|
|
Nigeria portal |
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) |
Term | Party | Election | Vice President |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 
|
Olusegun Obasanjo (1937–) |
29 May 1999 – 29 May 2007 |
People's Democratic Party | 1999 2003 |
Atiku Abubakar |
| 13 | 
|
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (1951–2010) |
29 May 2007 – 5 May 2010 |
People's Democratic Party | 2007 | Goodluck Jonathan |
| 14 | 
|
Goodluck Jonathan (1957–) |
6 May 2010 – 29 May 2015 |
People's Democratic Party | 2011[17] | Namadi Sambo |
| 15 | .jpg)
|
Muhammadu Buhari (1942–) |
29 May 2015 – 29 May 2023 |
All Progressives Congress | 2015 2019[18] |
Yemi Osinbajo |
| 16 | 
|
Bola Tinubu (1952–) |
29 May 2023 – present |
All Progressives Congress | 2023 | Kashim Shettima |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ The prime minister was Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
- ^ Under the 1979 Constitution of the Second Nigerian Republic (1979–1983), the President was both head of state and government. In the event of a vacancy the vice president would have served as acting president.
- ^ Muhammadu Buhari was made military head of state following the coup d'ètat of 1983, which overthrew the Second Republic and gave rise to Military dictatorship in Nigeria from 1983 to 1993.
- ^ Chief Ernest Shonekan became the interim head of state following the crisis of the Third Republic.
Citations
[edit]- ^ Faal, Courtney (9 May 2009). "Benjamin Nnamdi "Zik" Azikiwe (1904–1996)". BlackPast.org. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ "Nigeria's first executive president, Shehu Shagari, dies aged 93". Africanews. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ "Bola Tinubu sworn in as Nigeria's president, succeeds Buhari". Al Jazeera. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ Odeniyi, Solomon; Sanusi, Abiodun; Blankson, Esther (18 May 2023). "Tinubu's inauguration: Programmes begin Thursday, FG invites over 65 world leaders". The Punch. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ Akinpelu, Yusuf. "ANALYSIS: From bullet to ballot: 14 men who have led Nigeria since independence". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ "Nigerian Military Leader Ousts Interim President". The New York Times. 18 November 1993.
- ^ "Gowon Ousted in Nigeria; Coup ends Nine-Year Rule". The New York Times. 30 July 1975.
- ^ "Olusegun Obasanjo: Nigeria's Three-Time President". 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Nigerians Confirm Slaying of Ironsi". The New York Times. 15 January 1967.
- ^ "Nigeria Confirms Killing of Leader". The New York Times. 15 February 1976.
- ^ "Nigeria's president Yar'Adua dies".
- ^ "June 12 presidential election was annulled to prevent coup - Babangida". 6 August 2021.
- ^ "Nigeria Confirms Killing of Leader". The New York Times. 15 February 1976.
- ^ "Nigeria's president Yar'Adua dies".
- ^ Kasuka, Bridgette (April 2013). Prominent African Leaders Since Independence. New Africa Press. ISBN 978-9987-16-026-6.
- ^ "June 12, NASS and Nigeria's Fourth Republic". Punch Newspapers. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ Purefoy, Christian (19 April 2011). "Widespread election violence erupts in Nigeria". CNN. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ "BREAKING: Buhari declares June 12 Democracy Day to honour Abiola". Premium Times Nigeria. 6 June 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
External links
[edit]| Queen (1960–1963) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| President of the First Republic (1963–1966) | ||
| Military regime (1966–1979) | ||
| President of the Second Republic (1979–1983) | ||
| Military regime (1983–1999) | ||
| President of the Fourth Republic (from 1999) | ||
*Civilian; headed transition to abortive Third Republic | ||