1.1960 — 1966
Tafawa Balewa / Nnamdi Azikiwe
First Republic. Parliamentary system. Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa; Governor-General then President Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.
Civilian · Coup
Heads of State and Government
16 of 18 administrations · 1960 — present2.Jan 1966 — Jul 1966
Maj.-Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi
First military government. Decree 34 unifying the regions. Killed in the July counter-coup.
Military · Counter-coup
3.1966 — 1975
Gen. Yakubu Gowon
Civil war (1967–1970). Three Rs. Twelve-state structure. Indigenisation Decree. Removed in 1975 coup while at OAU summit.
Military · Coup
4.1975 — 1976
Gen. Murtala Muhammed
Civil-service purges. Capital relocation to Abuja announced. Assassinated by Lt. Col. Buka Suka Dimka.
Military · Assassinated
5.1976 — 1979
Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo
Completed Murtala's transition programme. 1979 Constitution. Handover to civilians on 1 October 1979.
Military · Handover
6.1979 — 1983
Shehu Shagari / Alex Ekwueme
Second Republic. NPN. Removed in the December 1983 coup.
Civilian · Coup
7.1983 — 1985
Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari
War Against Indiscipline. Decree 4. Removed in the August 1985 coup.
Military · Coup
8.1985 — 1993
Gen. Ibrahim Babangida
Self-styled 'military president'. SAP. Annulment of the June 12, 1993 election. 'Stepped aside' in August 1993.
Military · Stepped aside
9.Aug — Nov 1993
Chief Ernest Shonekan (ING)
Interim National Government. Eighty-three days. Removed by Sani Abacha.
Civilian · Palace coup
10.1993 — 1998
Gen. Sani Abacha
Dissolved all democratic structures. The Ogoni Nine. Died in office on 8 June 1998.
Military · Died in office
11.1998 — 1999
Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar
Eleven-month transition. 1999 Constitution promulgated by Decree 24. Handed over to elected civilians.
Military · Handover
12.1999 — 2007
Olusegun Obasanjo / Atiku Abubakar
Fourth Republic. PDP. Debt relief 2005. Failed third-term bid 2006.
Civilian · Term limit
13.2007 — 2010
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua / Goodluck Jonathan
Seven-point agenda. Amnesty programme in the Niger Delta. Died in office on 5 May 2010.
Civilian · Died in office
14.2010 — 2015
Goodluck Jonathan / Namadi Sambo
Sworn in via the Doctrine of Necessity. PIB stalemate. Conceded the 2015 election to Buhari — the first incumbent loss in Nigerian history.
Civilian · Conceded
15.2015 — 2023
Muhammadu Buhari / Yemi Osinbajo
APC. Treasury Single Account. Two recessions. End SARS. Naira redesign.
Civilian · Term limit
16.2023 —
Bola Ahmed Tinubu / Kashim Shettima
Fuel subsidy removal on inauguration day. Naira float. Highest inflation since the 1990s.
Civilian · Sitting
Methodology
Tier 1 · primary
Courts. Gazettes. National archives.
Tier 2 · corroborating
OCCRP. HRW. BudgIT. TheCable.
Redline
Wikipedia is never a source.