This is a list of the heads of state of Nigeria, from independence in 1960 to the present day. Since Nigeria became a republic in 1963, 16 individuals have served as head of state of Nigeria under different titles. The incumbent president Bola Tinubu is the nation's 16th head of state.
After the Independence of Nigeria on 1 October 1960, the first head of state was the queen of Nigeria Elizabeth II, who was also the monarch of other Commonwealth realms; she was represented by a governor-general.
Nigeria became a republic within the Commonwealth under the Constitution of 1963 and the monarch and governor-general were replaced by a ceremonial president.
Queen Elizabeth II was the first head of state after Nigeria's independence.
Key Figures and Their Tenures
Several individuals have left indelible marks on Nigeria's history through their leadership. Here's a brief overview of some key figures:
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- Nnamdi Azikiwe: The first ceremonial president, who served during the first republic.
- Shehu Shagari: The first executive president of Nigeria.
- Ernest Shonekan: His interim government, which was deposed 83 days after taking office in 1993, is the shortest in Nigeria's history.
- Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi: Served 194 days in the office, the shortest for a permanent head of state.
- Yakubu Gowon: Served the longest continuous period of almost nine years before being deposed while he was away from the country in 1975.
- Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari: Both served two non-consecutive periods as head of state, first as military officers and then later as civilians.
Five heads of state were deposed in a military coup (Nnamdi Azikiwe, Yakubu Gowon, Shehu Shagari, Muhammadu Buhari and Ernest Shonekan). Four heads of state died in office, two were assassinated during a military coup (Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi and Murtala Muhammed), while two died of natural causes (Sani Abacha and Umaru Musa Yar'Adua).
Three heads of state resigned, Olusegun Obasanjo and Abdulsalami Abubakar resigned after transition to democracy in 1979 and 1999 respectively, while Ibrahim Babangida was forced to resign after he annulled the 12 June 1993 presidential election in which SDP candidate MKO Abiola reportedly won.
Overview of Nigerian Heads of State
Here's a list of some notable Nigerian heads of state:
- Nnamdi Azikiwe, born in 1904, was the first President of Nigeria. He served from October 1963 to January 1966.
- Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was a military Head of state. He was born in 1924. He was Head of State from January 1966 until his assassination in July 1966.
- Yakubu Gowon, a retired general, was born in 1934, and was a military Head of State from August 1966 to July 1975.
- Murtala Muhammed from Kano State was born in 1938 and was a military head of state from July 1975. He was assassinated on February 13, 1976.
- Olusegun Obasanjo, a former general and ex-military Head of State became a civilian President and served for two terms between 1999 and 2007. He was a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
- Shehu Shagari served as President from October 1979 to December 1983. He was born in 1925 and passed away on December 28, 2018, in Abuja, at the age of ninety-three.
- Muhammadu Buhari from Katsina State. He was born in 1942. He served as civilian president from May 2015 to May 2023 and previously as a military Head of State from December 1983 to August 1985.
- Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) was born in 1941. He was the military Head of State from August 1985 to August 1993.
- Sani Abacha from Kano State was born in 1943 and was a military Head of State from November 1993 until his death on June 8, 1998.
- Ernest Shonekan led the Interim National Government (ING) after the crisis that engulfed the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election. He was born in 1936. He served as interim President from August 1993 to November 1993. He passed away in 2022.
- Abdulsalami Abubakar is a retired general. He was born in 1942. He led the military regime as Head of State from June 1998 to May 1999.
- Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, also from Katsina, was born in 1951. Yar’Adua served as President from May 2007 until his death on May 5, 2010, after a prolonged illness.
- Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was born in 1957. He served as President from May 2010 to May 2015. He was a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) when he led the country.
- Bola Ahmed Tinubu was born in 1952 and assumed office on May 29, 2023. He is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Muhammadu Buhari served as both military head of state and civilian president.
Constitutional Frameworks
Nigeria has operated under different constitutional frameworks throughout its history:
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- 1960 Constitution: From 1960 to 1963, the head of state was the queen of Nigeria, Elizabeth II.
- 1963 Constitution: Under the 1963 Constitution, the first constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Nigeria ran the parliamentary system of government with a prime minister and the president replacing the monarch as ceremonial head of state. The president was elected by Parliament for a five-year term.
- 1979 Constitution: Under the 1979 Constitution, the second constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the President was both head of state and government. The president was elected for a four-year term.
- Fourth Constitution of the Republic of Nigeria: Under the fourth Constitution of the Republic of Nigeria, the president is head of both state and government. The president is elected for a four-year term.
Historical Context
Nigeria's journey as an independent nation has been marked by significant political transitions:
- The First Republic (1963-1966): The country's government was based on a federal form of the Westminster system. The period between 1 October 1960, when the country gained its independence and 15 January 1966, when the first military coup d’état took place, is also generally referred to as the First Republic.
- The Third Republic: The Third Republic was the planned republican government of Nigeria in 1992, intended to operate under the Third Republican Constitution.
- The Fourth Republic: The Fourth Republic is the current republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999, it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution.
The interim government of Ernest Shonekan, who was deposed 83 days after taking office in 1993, was the shortest in Nigeria's history. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, who served 194 days in office, was the shortest ruled military head of state.
Role of the Governor-General
The Governor-general was the representative of the monarch in Nigeria and exercised most of the powers of the monarch. The governor-general was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the monarch.
Since Nigeria was granted independence by the Nigeria Independence Act 1960, rather than being first established as a semi-autonomous Dominion and later promoted to independence by the Statute of Westminster 1931, the governor-general was appointed solely on the advice of the Nigerian cabinet without the involvement of the British government, with the sole of exception of James Robertson, the former colonial governor, who served as governor-general temporarily until he was replaced by Nnamdi Azikiwe.
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Table of Nigerian Heads of State
A summary of Nigerian Heads of State and their tenures:
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| Head of State | Title | Term Start | Term End | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth II | Queen of Nigeria | 1960 | 1963 | Represented by a Governor-General |
| Nnamdi Azikiwe | President | 1963 | 1966 | First ceremonial president |
| Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi | Military Head of State | 1966 | 1966 | Assassinated in a coup |
| Yakubu Gowon | Military Head of State | 1966 | 1975 | Deposed in a coup |
| Murtala Muhammed | Military Head of State | 1975 | 1976 | Assassinated in a coup |
| Olusegun Obasanjo | Military Head of State, President | 1976, 1999 | 1979, 2007 | Served two non-consecutive terms |
| Shehu Shagari | President | 1979 | 1983 | Deposed in a coup |
| Muhammadu Buhari | Military Head of State, President | 1983, 2015 | 1985, 2023 | Served two non-consecutive terms |
| Ibrahim Babangida | Military Head of State | 1985 | 1993 | Resigned after annulling elections |
| Ernest Shonekan | Interim President | 1993 | 1993 | Deposed in a coup |
| Sani Abacha | Military Head of State | 1993 | 1998 | Died in office |
| Abdulsalami Abubakar | Military Head of State | 1998 | 1999 | Transitioned to democracy |
| Umaru Musa Yar'Adua | President | 2007 | 2010 | Died in office |
| Goodluck Ebele Jonathan | President | 2010 | 2015 | Served as President |
| Bola Ahmed Tinubu | President | 2023 | Present | Incumbent president |
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