List of heads of state of Nigeria
Introduction This is a list of the '''heads of state of Nigeria''', from independence in 1960 to the present day. The current constitution of Nigeria has the president of Nigeria as the head of state and government.From 1960 to 1963, the head of state under the Constitution of 1960 was the queen of Nigeria, Elizabeth II who was also the queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The monarch was represented in Nigeria 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. Nnamdi Azikiwe served as the only indigenous governor-general of Nigeria.Since Nigeria became a republic in 1963, 14 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. Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari both served two non-consecutive periods as head of state, first as military officers and then later as civilians. The first ceremonial president, who served during the first republic was Nnamdi Azikiwe, while the first executive president of Nigeria was Shehu Shagari. Shagari was also the first president to be elected to the position.The interim government of Ernest Shonekan who was deposed 83 days after taking office in 1993 is the shortest in Nigeria's history not including the tenure of Sir James Robertson who served 46 days as governor-general immediately after independence. Aguiyi-Ironsi served 194 days in the office, the shortest for a permanent head of state. Murtala Muhammed served 199 days in the position. 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 served the longest period for eleven years, two hundred and thirty days combined.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 (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. Olusegun Obasanjo was the first vice president (as Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters) to become head of state when Murtala Muhammed was killed during the 1976 Nigerian coup d'état attempt, while Goodluck Jonathan was the first democratic vice president to become head of state when Umaru Musa Yar'Adua died of Illness on 5 May 2010.
Monarchy (1960–1963) ===Monarch===The succession to the throne was the same as the succession to the British throne. Queen Reign Royal house Prime minister   Portrait Name Start End Duration 1 100px Elizabeth II 1 October 1960 1 October 1963  years Windsor Abubakar Tafawa Balewa ===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. In the event of a vacancy the chief justice would have served as officer administering the government. Governor-general Term of office Monarch Prime minister   Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office 1 100px Sir James Robertson 1 October 1960 16 November 1960  Elizabeth II Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa  2 100px Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe 16 November 1960 1 October 1963
Republic (1963–present) ===First Republic (1963–1966)===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 prime minister was formed by the leader of the party that won the election. The first federal election was won by the Northern People's Congress led by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. The president was elected by Parliament for a five-year term. In the event of a vacancy the president of the Senate would have served as acting president. President Term of office Political party Prime minister   Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office1 100px Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe 1 October 1963 16 January 1966  National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons Abubakar Tafawa Balewa ===Military Government (1966–1979)===Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu orchestrated the bloody military coup d'état of 1966 which overthrew the First Republic. Head of state Term of office Military   Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office2 100px Major GeneralJohnson Aguiyi-Ironsi 16 January 1966 29 July 1966  Central Military Government 3 100px GeneralYakubu Gowon 1 August 1966 29 July 1975  Supreme Military Council 4 100px GeneralMurtala Mohammed 29 July 1975 13 February 1976  5 100px GeneralOlusegun Obasanjo 13 February 1976 1 October 1979  ===Second Republic (1979–1983)===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. In the event of a vacancy the vice president would have served as acting president. President Term of office Political party Cabinet Elected   Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office6 100px Alhaji Shehu Shagari 1 October 1979 31 December 1983  National Party of Nigeria Shagari 19791983 ===Military Government (1983–1993)===Major-General Muhammadu Buhari was made military head of state following the coup d'ètat of 1983, which overthrew the Second Republic. Head of state/President Term of office Military   Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office7 100px Major GeneralMuhammadu Buhari 31 December 1983 27 August 1985  Supreme Military Council 8 120x120px GeneralIbrahim Babangida 27 August 1985 26 August 1993  Armed Forces Ruling Council ===Interim National Government (1993)===Chief Ernest Shonekan was made interim head of state of Nigeria following the crisis of the Third Republic. Interim Head of State Term of office Political party   Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office9 100px Chief Ernest Shonekan 26 August 1993 17 November 1993  Independent ===Military Government (1993–1999)===General Sani Abacha led the palace coup d'ètat of 1993 which overthrew the Interim National Government. Head of state Term of office Military   Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office10 100px GeneralSani Abacha 17 November 1993 8 June 1998  Provisional Ruling Council 11 100px GeneralAbdulsalami Abubakar 9 June 1998 29 May 1999  ===Fourth Republic (1999–present)===Under the fourth Constitution of the Republic of Nigeria, the president is head of both state and government. The president is elected by for a four-year term. In the event of a vacancy the vice president serves as acting president. President Term of office Political party Cabinet Elected   Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office12 100px Chief Olusegun Obasanjo 29 May 1999 29 May 2007  years People's Democratic Party Obasanjo 19992003 13 100px Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua 29 May 2007 5 May 2010  People's Democratic Party Yar'Adua 2007 14 100px Dr. Goodluck Jonathan 6 May 2010 29 May 2015  People's Democratic Party Jonathan I–II 2011 15 100px Muhammadu Buhari 29 May 2015 29 May 2023  years All Progressives Congress Buhari I–II 20152019 16 100px Bola Tinubu 29 May 2023 ''Incumbent''   All Progressives Congress Tinubu 2023
Timeline
Term of office in years This is a list of each head of state in order of term length.Of the 14 post monarchy heads of state, only two, Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari, served in two non consecutive periods.RankHead of StatePolitical partyLongest continuous termTotal time in officePeriodsCause of end of term1Olusegun ObasanjoMilitary/Peoples Democratic Party2Resignation/Natural expiration2Muhammadu BuhariMilitary/All Progressives Congress2Deposed/Natural expiration3Yakubu GowonMilitary1Deposed4Ibrahim BabangidaMilitary1Resignation5Goodluck JonathanPeoples Democratic Party 1Natural expiration6Sani AbachaMilitary1Death7Shehu ShagariNational Party of Nigeria1Deposed8Umaru Musa Yar'AduaPeople's Democratic Party1Death9Nnamdi AzikiweNational Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons1Deposed10Abdulsalami AbubakarMilitary1Resignation'''11''''''Bola Tinubu''''''All Progressives Congress''''''''''''''''''1''''''In office'''12Murtala MuhammedMilitary1Assassinated13Johnson Aguiyi-IronsiMilitary1Assassinated14Ernest ShonekanIndependent1Deposed
Standards File:Flag of Governor-General of Federation of Nigeria.svg|Governor-general's standard (1960–1963)File:Presidential Standard of Nigeria (1963).svg|Presidential standard of Nigeria (1963–1966)File:Presidential Standard of Nigeria (Armed Forces).svg|Presidential standard of Nigeria (Armed Forces)File:Flag of the President of Nigeria.svg|Presidential standard of Nigeria
Notes
References
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