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Nigeria had been under 4 republics, faced several coups and 16 years of military rule. Even with the shift to democracy, stability is still yet to be found in Nigeria.
This is because of issues of ethnicity and religion play the key roles on the issue of political leadership. The marginalization of certain tribes in Nigerian politics has led to the Biafran war (1967- 1970) and to the Niger- Delta crises today. Governments have either sided one group over others or played both sides of the game to prevent conflict. There has been an outcry over the dominance of the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party), retired military officers, and both the Hausa and Yoruba tribes in politics.
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 The current President, Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua is of Fulani descent, was never in the military, is university educated (holds an M. Sc in Analytical Chemistry) and chose as his Vice President, former Bayelsa state Governor, Goodluck Jonathan- the first time ever for a minority group to be given a stake in nigerian national politics. The prudence of the President is shown in the high level of development and financial accountability in Katsina state when he was governor from 1999 to 2006. Critics raise issue that it was during his time in office that the Shari’a penal code was adopted in Katsina state and that this mirrors his key interests and goals. Critics also cite his election to office as being fraudulent (he got 70% of the votes).
|  | Term | Name | Party | Official Title |
|  1 | 1960 |  James Robertson |  independent |  Governors-General |
|  2 | 1960-1963 |  Nnamdi Azikiwe |  Nigerian National Democratic Party |  Governors-General |
|  3 | 1963-1966 |  Nnamdi Azikiwe |  Nigerian National Democratic Party |  Presidents |
|  4 | 1966 |  Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi |  Military |  Head of State |
|  5 | 1966-1975 |  Colonel Yakubu Gowon |  Military |  Head of State |
|  6 | 1975-1976 |  Murtala Mohammed |  Military |  Head of State |
|  7 | 1976-1979 |  General Olusegun Obasanjo |  Military |  Head of State |
|  8 | 1979-1983 |  Shehu Shagari |  National Party of Nigeria |  Presidents |
|  9 | 1983-1985 |  Major General Mohammed Buhari |  Military |  Presidents |
|  10 | 1985-1993 |  Major General Ibrahim Babangida |  Military |  Presidents |
|  11 |  1993 |  Ernest Shonekan |  independent |  Presidents |
|  12 |  1993-1998 |  General Sani Abacha |  Military |  Presidents |
|  13 |  1998-1999 |  General Abdulsalam Abubakar |  Military |  Presidents |
|  14 |  1999-2007 |  Olusegun Obasanjo |  People’s Democratic Party |  Presidents |
|  15 |  2007- |  Umaru Yar’Adua |  People’s Democratic Party |  Presid |
   Note :Heads of state from January 1966 until October 1979 and from December 1983 did not officially use the title of president.
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