List of heads of state of Nigeria

The succession to the throne was the same as the succession to the British throne.

Queen			Reign			Royal House	Prime Minister
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Start	End	Duration
1		Elizabeth II (born 1926)	1 October 1960	1 October 1963	3 years	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 (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Sir James Robertson (1899–1983)	1 October 1960	16 November 1960	46 days	Elizabeth II	Balewa
2		Nnamdi Azikiwe (1904–1996)	16 November 1960	1 October 1963	2 years, 319 days	Elizabeth II	Balewa

Under the 1963 Constitution, the first constitution of the Republic of Nigeria, Nigeria ran the parliamentary system of government with a prime ministe 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.

Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu led a coup d'état in 1966 which overthrew Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and his government.

Head of state			Term of office			Military
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office
2		Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi (1924–1966)	16 January 1966	29 July 1966 (assassinated.)	194 days	Federal Military Government
3		General Yakubu Gowon (born 1934)	1 August 1966	29 July 1975 (deposed.)	8 years, 362 days	Federal Military Government
4		General Murtala Mohammed (1938–1976)	29 July 1975	13 February 1976 (assassinated.)	199 days	Federal Military Government
5		Major-General Olusegun Obasanjo (born 1937)	13 February 1976	1 October 1979 (resigned.)	3 years, 258 days	Federal Military Government

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			Elected	Term of office			Political party (at time of election)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)		Took office	Left office	Time in office
6		Shehu Shagari (1925–2018)	1979 1983	1 October 1979	31 December 1983 (deposed.)	4 years, 91 days	National Party of Nigeria

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 (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office
7		Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (born 1942)	31 December 1983	27 August 1985 (deposed.)	1 year, 239 days	Supreme Military Council
8		General Ibrahim Babangida (born 1941)	27 August 1985	26 August 1993 (resigned.)	7 years, 364 days	Armed Forces Ruling Council

Following the annulment of the 1993 Nigerian presidential election which terminated the transition to the Third Nigerian Republic. In August 1993, Babangida resigned from office. He signed a decree establishing the Interim National Government led by Ernest Shonekan. Babangida made the interim government weak by placing it under the control of the military.

In November 1993, General Sani Abacha overthrew the interim government, and ruled the country with an iron fist. In 1998, following Abacha's death, General Abdulsalami Abubakar became head of state and ushered in the Fourth Nigerian Republic.

Head of state			Term of office			Military
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office
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 (born 1942)	8 June 1998	29 May 1999 (resigned.)	355 days	Provisional Ruling Council

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

President			Elected	Term of office			Political party
No.	Portrait	Name		Took office	Left office	Time in office
12		Olusegun Obasanjo (1937–)	1999 2003	29 May 1999	29 May 2007	8 years	People's Democratic Party
13		Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (1951–2010)	2007	29 May 2007	5 May 2010[2] (died in office.)	2 years, 341 days	People's Democratic Party
14		Goodluck Jonathan (1957–)	2011	5 May 2010	29 May 2015	5 years, 25 days	People's Democratic Party
15		Muhammadu Buhari (1942–)	2015 2019	29 May 2015	Incumbent	5 years, 22 days	All Progressives Congress

• State House of the Federal Republic of Nigeria