List of heads of state of Nigeria - wikipedia List of heads of state of Nigeria Nigeria This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Nigeria Constitution Human rights Government President ( list ) Muhammadu Buhari Vice President Yemi Osinbajo Cabinet Federal Parastatals National Assembly Senate House of Representatives Judiciary Supreme Court Subdivisions States State governors Local Government Areas Elections Recent elections Presidential : 2011 2015 2019 Parliamentary : 2011 2015 2019 Political parties Foreign relations Minister of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic missions of Nigeria to Nigeria Passport Visa requirements Other countries Atlas This is a list of the heads of state of Nigeria, from independence in 1960 to the present day. From 1960 to 1963 the head of state under the Nigeria Independence Act 1960 was the Queen of Nigeria, Elizabeth II, who was also monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The Queen was represented in Nigeria by a Governor - General. Nigeria became a federal republic under the Constitution of 1963 and the monarch and Governor - General were replaced by a ceremonial President. In 1979, under the 1979 Constitution, the President gained executive powers, becoming head of both state and government. Since 1994, under the 1993 Constitution and the current 1999 Constitution, the head of state and government has been called the President. Contents 1 Monarch ( 1960 -- 1963 ) 1.1 Governor - General 2 First Republic ( 1963 -- 1966 ) 3 Military rule ( 1966 -- 1979 ) 4 Second Republic ( 1979 -- 1983 ) 5 Military rule ( 1983 -- 1993 ) 6 Third Republic ( 1993 ) 7 Military rule ( 1993 -- 1999 ) 8 Fourth Nigerian Republic 9 Living former heads of state 10 References 11 External links Monarch ( 1960 -- 1963 ) The succession to the throne was the same as the succession to the British throne. Queen Reign Royal House Prime Minister No Portrait Name Start End Duration Elizabeth II ( 1926 -- ) 1 October 1960 1 October 1963 3 years, 0 days Windsor Balewa Governor - General Standard of the Governor - General of Nigeria 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 No Portrait Name Took office Left office Duration Sir James Robertson ( 1899 -- 1983 ) 1 October 1960 16 November 1960 46 days Elizabeth II Balewa Nnamdi Azikiwe ( 1904 -- 1996 ) 16 November 1960 1 October 1963 2 years, 319 days Elizabeth II Balewa First Republic ( 1963 -- 1966 ) Under the 1963 Constitution, the first constitution of the Republic of Nigeria, the President replaced the monarch as ceremonial head of state. 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 ( at time of election ) Prime Minister ( s ) No Portrait Name Took office Left office Duration Nnamdi Azikiwe ( 1904 -- 1996 ) 1 October 1963 16 January 1966 ( deposed. ) 2 years, 107 days National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons Balewa Military rule ( 1966 -- 1979 ) Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu led a coup d'état in 1966 which overthrew President Azikiwe and his government. Head of State Term of Office Military No Portrait Name Took Office Left Office Duration Major - General Johnson Aguiyi - Ironsi ( 1924 -- 1966 ) 16 January 1966 12 July 1966 ( assassinated. ) 177 days Federal Military Government General Yakubu Gowon ( 1934 -- ) 1 August 1966 29 July 1975 ( deposed. ) 8 years, 362 days Federal Military Government General Murtala Mohammed ( 1938 -- 1976 ) 29 July 1975 13 February 1976 ( assassinated. ) 199 days Federal Military Government 5 Major - General Olusegun Obasanjo ( 1937 -- ) 13 February 1976 1 October 1979 ( resigned. ) 3 years, 258 days Federal Military Government Second Republic ( 1979 -- 1983 ) Under the 1979 Constitution, the second constitution of the Republic of Nigeria, the President was head of both state and government. The President was elected by 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 ( at time of election ) No Portrait Name Took office Left office Duration 6 Shehu Shagari ( 1925 -- ) 1 October 1979 31 December 1983 ( deposed. ) 4 years, 91 days National Party of Nigeria Military rule ( 1983 -- 1993 ) Major - General Muhammadu Buhari led a coup d'état which overthrew President Shagari and his government. Head of State Term of Office Military No Portrait Name Took Office Left Office Duration 7 Major - General Muhammadu Buhari ( 1942 -- ) 31 December 1983 27 August 1985 ( deposed. ) 1 year, 239 days Supreme Military Council 8 General Ibrahim Babangida ( 1941 -- ) 27 August 1985 26 August 1993 ( resigned. ) 7 years, 364 days Armed Forces Ruling Council Third Republic ( 1993 ) The Third Republic was the planned republican government of Nigeria in 1993 which was to be governed by the Third Republican constitution. The constitution of the Third Republic was drafted in 1989, when General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida ( IBB ), the military Head of State, promised to terminate military rule by 1990 -- a date which was subsequently pushed back to 1993. IBB lifted the ban on political activity in the spring of 1989, and his government established two political parties : the center - right National Republican Convention ( NRC ) and the center - left Social Democratic Party ( SDP ). Gubernatorial and state legislative elections were conducted in December 1991, while the presidential election was postponed till 12 June 1993 -- due to political unrest. M.K.O. Abiola, a wealthy Yoruba businessman, won a decisive victory in the presidential elections on the SDP platm. President Term of office Political party ( at time of election ) No Portrait Name Took office Left office Duration 9 Ernest Shonekan ( 1936 -- ) 26 August 1993 17 November 1993 ( deposed. ) 83 days Independent Military rule ( 1993 -- 1999 ) General Sani Abacha led a coup d'état which overthrew President Shonekan and his government. Head of State Term of Office Military No Portrait Name Took Office Left Office Duration 10 General Sani Abacha ( 1943 -- 1998 ) 17 November 1993 8 June 1998 ( died in office. ) 4 years, 203 days Provisional Ruling Council 11 General Abdulsalami Abubakar ( 1942 -- ) 8 June 1998 29 May 1999 ( resigned. ) 355 days Provisional Ruling Council Fourth Nigerian Republic 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. Status Denotes Vice President acting as President President Term of office Political party ( at time of election ) No Portrait Name Took office Left office Duration 12 Olusegun Obasanjo ( 1937 -- ) 29 May 1999 29 May 2007 8 years, 0 days People 's Democratic Party 13 Umaru Musa Yar'Adua ( 1951 -- 2010 ) 29 May 2007 5 May 2010 ( died in office. ) 2 years, 341 days People 's Democratic Party 14 Goodluck Jonathan ( 1957 -- ) 5 May 2010 29 May 2015 5 years, 25 days People 's Democratic Party 15 Muhammadu Buhari ( 1942 -- ) 29 May 2015 Incumbent 2 years, 275 days All Progressives Congress Living former heads of state Name Term / Reign Office Date of birth Elizabeth II 1952 -- 1961 Queen of Nigeria ( 1926 - 04 - 21 ) April 21, 1926 ( age 91 ) Yakubu Gowon 1966 -- 1975 Military ruler ( 1934 - 10 - 19 ) October 19, 1934 ( age 83 ) Olusegun Obasanjo 1976 -- 1979 1999 -- 2007 Military ruler President of Nigeria ( 1937 - 03 - 05 ) March 5, 1937 ( age 80 ) Shehu Shagari 1979 -- 1983 President of Nigeria ( 1925 - 02 - 25 ) February 25, 1925 ( age 93 ) Ibrahim Babangida 1985 -- 1993 Military ruler ( 1941 - 08 - 17 ) August 17, 1941 ( age 76 ) Ernest Shonekan President of Nigeria ( 1936 - 05 - 09 ) May 9, 1936 ( age 81 ) Abdulsalami Abubakar 1998 -- 1999 Military ruler ( 1942 - 06 - 13 ) June 13, 1942 ( age 75 ) Goodluck Jonathan 2010 -- 2015 President of Nigeria ( 1957 - 11 - 20 ) November 20, 1957 ( age 60 ) References Jump up ^ `` Past Presidents & Heads of State ''. StateHouse, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Jump up ^ Goodluck Jonathan was Acting President from 9 February to 5 May 2010 External links State House of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Heads of State of Nigeria Queen ( 1960 -- 1963 ) Elizabeth II President of the First Republic ( 1963 -- 1966 ) Azikiwe Military regime ( 1966 -- 1979 ) Aguiyi - Ironsi Gowon Mohammed Obasanjo President of the Second Republic ( 1979 -- 1983 ) Shehu Shagari Military regime ( 1983 -- 1999 ) Buhari Babangida Shonekan ( interim ) * Abacha Abubakar President of the Fourth Republic ( from 1999 ) Obasanjo Yar'Adua Jonathan Buhari * civilian ; headed transition to abortive Third Republic Representatives of the monarch in Commonwealth realms and Dominions National Counsellors of State United Kingdom Governors - general Antigua and Barbuda Australia Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Grenada Jamaica New Zealand Papua New Guinea Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Solomon Islands Tuvalu Sub-national Australia Governors New South Wales Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia Canada Lieutenant governors Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Realm of New Zealand Governor - general Niue, New Zealand Queen 's Representative Cook Islands Administrator Tokelau United Kingdom Lords lieutenant England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland ( list Former Governors general Ceylon ( now Sri Lanka ) Fiji The Gambia Ghana Guyana India Irish Free State ( now Ireland ) Kenya Malawi Malta Mauritius Nigeria Pakistan Sierra Leone Union of South Africa Tanganyika Trinidad and Tobago Uganda Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_heads_of_state_of_Nigeria&oldid=818808193 '' Categories : Government of Nigeria Lists of political office - holders in Nigeria Hidden categories : Official website not in Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Esperanto فارسی Français Hausa Ido Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Basa Jawa Latviešu Norsk Occitan Suomi Svenska Türkçe Yorùbá Edit links This page was last edited on 5 January 2018, at 18 : 21. 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Question: who was the first military head of state in nigerian
Answer: Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi