The

 Color-­‐Coded  History  of  Nigeria  

GREEN  =  Civilian  Rule   BLUE  =  Military  Rule   RED  =  Coup  
START  
HERE  
2.  Coup  #1  –  1966  
A  group  of  military  officers  from  the  
disgruntled  Igbos  stage  a  successful   6.  Coup  #3  –  1975   16.  Coup  #6  –  1993  
coup  but  then  realize  they  didn’t  have   Unamused  by  Gowon’s  plan  to  stay    Defense  minister  and  
a  plan  for  a7er  the  coup  and  run  away.   in  power  forever,  General  Murtala   unpleasant  man  Sani  Abacha  
General  Ironsi,  an  Igbo,  takes  power.   Mohammed  ousts  Gowon  in  a   overthrows  the  weak  interim  
bloodless  coup  and  takes  power.   government  and  takes  over.  
3.  Coup  #2  –  1967  
Ironsi,  once  in  power,  decides  that   8.  1976  AssassinaWon   18.  Abacha  Dies:  1998  
maybe  he’ll  just  go  the  full  distance   Mohammed  assassinated  in   People  cheer  as  Abacha  dies  suddenly  
and  try  to  be  a  full-­‐fledged  dictator   failed  coup  abempt.   of  heart  failure.  General  Abubakar  
k?  But  then  the  Hausa  ethnic  group,   takes  over  and  brings  things  back  to  
who  had  been  in  power  before  the   civilian  rule  for  the  fourth  Ame.    
coup,  stage  a  counter  coup  and  kill   11.  Coup  #4  –  1983  
Ironsi,  an  impediment  to  his  career.   Unimpressed  by  Shagari’s  vote-­‐
General  Gowon  takes  power.   rigging  douchiness,  General   19.  Fourth  Republic:  1999  –  2014  
Buhari  pushes  out  the  civilian   The  longest  period  of  civilian  rule  in  
4.  Civil  War:  1967-­‐70   government  and  takes  power.   Nigerian  history.  Given  Nigeria’s  past,  
The  Igbos,  out  of  power  again   this  is  a  delighcul  turn  of  events.  But  
now  with  Gowon  in  charge,  and   13.  Coup  #5  –  1985   with  potenAally  sAll  shady  elecAons  
suffering  from  brutal  ethnic   NoAng  Buhari’s  unpopularity,   happening  and  a  ton  of  recent  religious  
INDEPENDENCE   violence,  decide  to  try  to  be   General  Babangida  just  kicks  him   violence,  Nigeria  is  sAll  a  troubled  
their  own  country.  This  turns   out  and  takes  over,  cause   place.  If  Nigeria  is  something  you  care  
into  a  civil  war  and  3.5  million   apparently  you  can  just  do  that   about,  root  for  fair  elecAons  in  2015.    
deaths  before  the  Igbos  lose  and   in  Nigeria  when  you  want  to.  
Oct  1,  1960   agree  to  remain  part  of  Nigeria. Today  
 
CIVIL    
WAR  

1.  First  Republic:  1963-­‐66   17.  Abacha  Military   1999-­‐2007:  Obasanjo’s  

The  first  crack  at  a  republic  does   10.  Second  Republic:  1979-­‐83  
not  go  well.  The  new  leadership   Despite  presiding  over  an   Rule:  1993-­‐99   presidency.  For  the  
economic  boom  due  to  spiking  oil   Sani  Abacha  decides  to   first  Ame  in  Nigeria’s  
first  jails  a  major  opposiAon   model  his  leadership  style   history,  a  civilian  
leader,  then  forms  an  alliance  with   prices,  the  new  president,  Shagari,  
runs  into  trouble  and  is  accused  of   off  of  King  Joffrey—a  lot   president  is  able  to  
one  of  the  three  major  ethnic   of  people  are  executed,   complete  two  full  
groups,  leaving  the  third  big  ethnic   vote  rigging  a7er  winning  
reelecAon  in  a  suspiciously-­‐large   the  economy  stagnates,   terms  in  office.  
group  (the  Igbos)  out  of  the  loop.   and  most  human  
landslide.  Typical  Shagari.    
freedoms  are  gone.  
5.  Gowon  Military  Rule:  1966-­‐75   2007:  Umaru  Yar’Adua  wins  
the  presidency  but  gets  sick  
A7er  fighAng  through  the  civil  war,   12.  Buhari  Military  Rule:  1983-­‐85   and  dies  shortly  a7er.  
Gowon’s  rule  goes  preby  smoothly  unAl   Buhari  decides  to  clean  up  Nigeria’s  act,  
in  1974,  he  decides  that  instead  of  the   but  his  harsh  disciplinarian-­‐style  leadership  
planned  return  to  civilian  rule  by  1976,   annoys  the  shit  out  of  everyone.   2010:  Goodluck  Jonathan,  
he  will  actually  just  rule  indefinitely.  He   Yar’Adua’s  Vice  President,  
hopes  that  will  be  cool  with  everyone.   takes  over  and  then  wins  the  
14.  Babangida  Military  Rule:  1985-­‐93   2011  presidenAal  elecAon.  
Babangida  promises  to  return  the  country  to  civilian   He’s  currently  running  again  
7.  Mohammed  Military  Rule:  1975-­‐76   rule,  but  only  a7er  he  “gets  to  be  the  president  for   in  the  2015  elecAon.  His  
General  Murtala  Mohammed  actually  does  a   a  while  first,”  which  he  does  for  eight  years.     name  is  Goodluck  Jonathan.  
good  job  before  he’s  assassinated.  

15.  Third  Republic:  1993  

9.  Obasanjo  Military  Rule:  1976-­‐79   In  the  most  inexplicable  move  in  Nigerian  
Mohammed’s  chief  of  staff,  General  Obasanjo,   history,  a7er  shi7ing  things  back  to  civilian  rule  
who  would  later  become  president  in  1999,   and  watching  popular  candidate  M.K.O.  Abiola  
assumes  power  and  returns  the  country  to   win  the  elecAon,  Babangida  has  a  freakout  and  
civilian  rule  in  1979,  as  promised.     nullifies  the  elecAon,  puEng  a  weak  military  
interim  government  in  place  instead.     waitbutwhy.com