General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida: Nigeria’s Military Leader and Head of State (1985–1993) General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida GCFR GCB (born 17 August 1941) is a Nigerian statesman and former military dictator who ruled as military president of Nigeria from 1985 to 1993. He seized power through a coup d’état that overthrew Muhammadu Buhari and presided over…
General Muhammadu Buhari: From Military Ruler (1983–1985) to Nigeria’s Democratic President (2015–2023) Born on December 17, 1942, in Daura, Katsina State, General Muhammadu Buhari began his career in the Nigerian Army, receiving training in Kaduna, the United Kingdom, India, and the United States. He emerged as a key figure in Nigeria’s military politics, notably participating…
General Murtala Ramat Muhammed: Nigeria’s Boldest Head of State (1975–1976) General Murtala Ramat Muhammed GCFR (8 November 1938 – 13 February 1976) was a Nigerian military officer and the fourth Head of State of Nigeria. He played a key role in the 1966 Nigerian counter-coup on July 29, 1966, which overthrew the military regime of…
General Yakubu Gowon: Nigeria’s Youngest Head of State and Civil War Leader (1966–1975) General Yakubu Gowon (born October 19, 1934) was a Nigerian military officer and statesman who served as Head of State from 1966 to 1975. He rose to power after a military coup in 1966, making him the youngest military leader in Nigerian…
Abubakar Imam (1911–1981): Northern Nigeria’s Pioneer Intellectual and Political Icon Alhaji Abubakar Imam (1911–1981) was a prominent Nigerian writer, journalist, and politician, best known as the first Hausa editor of the newspaper Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo. Born in Kagara and raised in Zaria, he came from a diverse background connected to Sokoto, Bornu, and Katsina….
Mallam Aminu Kano Biography Mallam Aminu Kano was born in Kano in 1920 and, in 1983, was a Nigerian politician, educator, and activist who fought for the rights of the poor (talakawa) and against oppression by colonial rulers and northern aristocrats. He was raised in an Islamic scholarly family and later became a teacher. He…
Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa: Nigeria’s First Prime Minister (1912-1966) Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1912–1966) was a key Nigerian statesman and the first Prime Minister of Nigeria, serving from 1957 until his assassination in 1966. Born in Bauchi, Northern Nigeria, Balewa was educated at the University of London’s Institute of Education. He began his political career…
Senator Kawu Sumaila Defects from NNPP to APC Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, who represents Kano South in the National Assembly, has announced his defection from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Senator Kawu announced this on his social media handle, stating: “Yes, it is true, the rumor…
Sir Ahmadu Bello GCON KBE Sir Ahmadu Bello, popularly known as the Sardauna of Sokotoborn on June 12, 1910, and died on January 15, 1966. Sir Ahmadu Bello, often known as the Sardauna of Sokoto, was a conservative Nigerian statesman and one of the most influential northern political figures during Nigeria’s early independence. He was…