Nigeria gained independence from British colonial rule on October 1, 1960, and since then, Nigeria has had several presidential elections and presidents.
From 1979 till date, Nigeria has held a total of eight elections and the presidents have been produced by five political parties.
National Party of Nigeria produced won the 1979 presidential election with Shehu Shagari as its candidate.
The Social Democratic Party won the 1993 presidential election with Moshood Abiola as its candidate. However, the election was annulled by the military government.
The People’s Democratic Party Won the 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011 presidential elections while the All Progressives Congress won the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) as its candidate.
Also, the All Progressives Congress won the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections with Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd ), as its candidate.
Furthermore, since 1979, Nigerian presidents have emerged from different regions of the country. The North West region has produced two presidents since 1979, namely Shehu Shagari (1979-1983) and Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), (2015-present). The South-West region has also produced one president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who served two terms in office (1999-2007); While the South-South region has produced two presidents, namely Goodluck Jonathan (2010-2015).
The North East, North Central and South East are yet to produce a president since 1979.
Breaking this down into states, Katsina produced Buhari, who has been in office since 2015; Sokoto produced Shehu Shagari, who served from 1979 to 1983; Ogun produced President Olusegun Obasanjo, who served two terms in office from 1999 to 2007 while Bayelsa produced President Goodluck Jonathan, who served from 2010 to 2015.
Here is a list of the Nigerian presidential elections and winners since 1979.
1979, Shehu Shagari, Second Republic
The 1979 presidential election in Nigeria was won by Alhaji Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria. He won the election with 5,688,857 votes, while his closest rival, Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the Unity Party of Nigeria, received 4,916,651 votes. The election marked the end of military rule in Nigeria and the beginning of the second Nigerian Republic.
1983, Shehu Shagari, Second Republic
The 1983 presidential election in Nigeria was won for the second time by Alhaji Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria. However, it is not possible to provide the exact number of votes he received in the election.
The electoral system in Nigeria at the time was based on a first-past-the-post system, where the candidate with the highest number of votes in each constituency was declared the winner. The NPN won a majority of the seats in the National Assembly, and Alhaji Shehu Shagari was re-elected as President. The election was, however, marred by allegations of vote-rigging and irregularities, which led to protests and violence in some parts of the country.
1993: Moshood Abiola, Third Republic (election annulled).
The 1993 presidential election in Nigeria was won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, popularly known as MKO Abiola, of the Social Democratic Party. However, the election result was annulled by the military government led by General Ibrahim Babangida, and Abiola was never officially declared president.
In the presidential election, MKO Abiola won with 8,341,309 votes, defeating Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention, who received 5,952,087 votes. The election was widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, but its annulment led to protests and political unrest, culminating in the military coup that brought General Sani Abacha to power. MKO Abiola was later arrested and imprisoned by the military government, and he died in custody in 1998.
1999: Olusegun Obasanjo, Fourth Republic
The 1999 presidential election in Nigeria was won by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo of the People’s Democratic Party. He won the election with 18,738,154 votes, defeating his closest rival, Chief Olu Falae of the Alliance for Democracy, who received 11,110,287 votes.
The 1999 presidential election marked the beginning of the fourth Nigerian Republic and the end of military rule in Nigeria. It was the first presidential election held after the military government of General Sani Abacha, and it was conducted under the supervision of an independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The election was generally considered to be free and fair, although there were some incidents of violence and irregularities in some parts of the country.
2003: Olusegun Obasanjo, Fourth Republic
The 2003 presidential election in Nigeria was won for the second time by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo of the People’s Democratic Party. He won the election with 24,456,140 votes, defeating his closest rival, General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria People’s Party, who received 12,710,022 votes.
The election was conducted under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and there were some allegations of irregularities and violence in some parts of the country. However, the election was generally regarded as an improvement over previous elections in Nigeria, and it marked another milestone in the country’s transition to democratic governance.
2007: Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Fourth Republic
The 2007 presidential election in Nigeria was won by Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of the People’s Democratic Party. He won the election with 24,638,063 votes, defeating his closest rival, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret. ), of the All Nigeria People’s Party, who received 6,605,299 votes.
The election was conducted under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, but it was marred by allegations of irregularities and electoral malpractices. There were reports of voter intimidation, ballot box stuffing, and violence in some parts of the country. The conduct of the election was widely criticized by international and local observers, who described it as flawed and not meeting international standards for free and fair elections.
2011: Goodluck Jonathan, Fourth Republic
The 2011 presidential election in Nigeria was won by Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party. He won the election with 22,495,187 votes, defeating his closest rival, Major General Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change, who received 12,214,853 votes.
The election was conducted under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and it was generally regarded as an improvement over previous elections in Nigeria.
2015: Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret. ), Fifth Republic
The 2015 presidential election in Nigeria was won by Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret.) of the All Progressives Congress. He won the election with 15,424,921 votes, defeating the incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party, who received 12,853,162 votes.
The election was conducted under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and it was generally regarded as a significant improvement over previous elections in Nigeria. The election was largely peaceful, and the outcome was accepted by all the major political parties and candidates. The victory of Buhari marked the first time that an opposition candidate had defeated an incumbent president in Nigeria’s history, and it was seen as a major milestone for Nigeria’s democracy.
2019: Major Muhammadu Buhari (ret. ), Fifth Republic
The 2019 presidential election in Nigeria was won for the second time by Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) of the All Progressives Congress. He won the election with 15,191,847 votes, defeating his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party, who received 11,262,978 votes.
The election was conducted under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and it was characterized by a high voter turnout and some incidents of violence and irregularities in some parts of the country. The opposition PDP and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenged the outcome of the election in court, alleging irregularities and fraud. However, the Supreme Court upheld Buhari’s victory, and he was inaugurated for a second term on May 29, 2019.
Nigeria have also experienced recorded the emergence of leaders who were not democratically elected. In January 15, 1966, a group of military officers led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu overthrew the civilian government of Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. This was Nigeria’s first military coup.
Also in July 29, 1966, a counter-coup led by Lieutenant Colonel Yakubu Gowon overthrew the military government that took over after the first coup. Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, who became the head of the military government after the first coup, was killed during the counter-coup.
Another military coup led by Brigadier Murtala Ramat Mohammed overthrew the government of General Yakubu Gowon in July 29, 1975.
General Murtala Ramat Mohammed was assassinated in another coup attempt, and General Olusegun Obasanjo became the head of the military government in February 13, 1976.
In December 31, 1983, a coup was also led by General Muhammadu Buhari, to overthrow the civilian government of President Shehu Shagari.
However in August 27, 1985, another coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida overthrew General Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
And lastly, in November 17, 1993, General Sani Abacha overthrew the interim government of Ernest Shonekan.