Heads of State and Presidents of Nigeria Since Independence till date and their Zone

By Onyeke Ejike

1. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa | 1960-1963 - North East
2. Nnamdi Azikwe | 1963-1966 - South East
3. Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi | 1966 - South East
4. Yakubu Gowon | 1966-1975 - North Central
5.Murtala Rufai Mohammed | 1975-1976 - North West
6.Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo | 1976-1979 - South West
7.Alhaji Shehu Shagari | 1979-1983 - North West
8.Muhammadu Buhari | 1983-1985 - North West
9.Ibrahim Babangida | 1985-1993 - North Central
10.Ernest Adegunle Shonekan | 1993 - South West
11.Sani Abacha | 1993-1998 - North West
12.Abdulsalami Abubakar | 1998-1999 - North Central
13.Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo | 1999-2007 - South West
14.Umaru Musa Yar’Adua | 2007-2010 - North West
15.Goodluck Ebele Jonathan | 2010-2015 - South South
16.Muhammadu Buhari | 2015 - 2023 - North West

In the past 62 years of leading Nigeria post independence, the North through military heads and democratic presidents has led this country for 39 years. By the time Pa Buhari completes his tenure in 2023, the North must have led Nigeria for 40 years why the South has only led the country for 23 years. And I ask, should the North be in the ballot come 2023 presidential election?

This question brings us to issue of zoning. Zoning is always a beloved topic every time election is around the corner in our various locals, states and in the federal government. But in one way or the other, the greedy politicians who selfishly think leading is their birth right always find a way to subvert the interest of the less represented group. I say the interest of the most represented group because often time, it’s not because the marginalized group is the minority but because they have been intentionally removed from the spheres of influence and power even when in many cases, they are the powerful. This is not even my pain. My pain is the silence and should I say cluelessness and unpatriotic nature of the representatives of the marginalized. For instance those in the opposition party PDP who seems to have been bribed or cajoled into throwing the party ticket open because they may not have been able to build up a good argument for a Southern PDP presidential candidate.

Zoning may not be a constitutional provision in Nigeria but a social contractual obligation. According to social contract principle, we all agreed to come together to rest our political power in one man or group of men to represent our interest not merely according to the provision of the law nor the predispositions of gods but by the rational moral principles tending to the social good otherwise called the COMMON GOOD.

Although laws are explicit social contract such as that of the American constitution constituted by Americans from the circumstances of their co-existence, we cannot depend wholly on ours that was not entirely the dictate of our people hence do not always represent our whole experience as a conglomeration of nations. I hope the 2014 confab features zoning/rotational leadership from federal to local government. This is because it is rationally justifiable that there be an equal representation of all regions in the constitution of the government that manage the affairs that concern them and that entails rotational leadership.

Judging from our differences, this rotation should not only feature the North and South in the general perspective but the six constitutional geopolitical zones that make up this country. Hence, if we want to salvate this country, we must ensure that every zone in the country is always equally represented to give them a sense of belonging.

If someone from the South East is the president today, not only should a Northerner be the Vice, but a Northerner from the zone that should present the next president so that whoever becomes the Vice today will be someone who is expected to take over the presidency after the current administration. This will give room for the incoming president who was the vice to learn the problems of the the current administration and plan on how to salvage it with his team. If this is untenable, the vice should at least come from the zone that is least represented. That being the case, the Chief of Staff must be from another zone different from that of the president and vice, and the Secretary from another zone, the Senate president from another while the Speaker of the house should likewise come from the sixed zone in the light of the federal character principle.

But in a country filled with greedy and self centered politicians, the interest pf the public and the common wealth is not as important as their personal interest.

With the presence of the North in all sectors of the government in the current administration, they should not be in the ballot for the presidency come 2023. A Northerner should be a vice this time but not the president no matter the circumstances because the other region, the South has got credible candidates to succeed pa Buhari.

In the south, the South West and the South South haven been in power recently should give way and political support to the East for the sake of national integration as the East has not test power since the first republic. After the East in the South, the East in the North is expected to take over as they too have not tested power since independence.

In a Nutshell, Atiku Abubakar, Saraki, Bala Muhammad, Bello Yahaya and Aminu Tambuwal should Jettison their presidential ambition. They could pursue anything else for the sake of justice, and should support the South - the south east.

Like for Tinubu

share for Osinbajo

They are born to rule

Awon werey they are the most selfish and corrupt tribe I have seen in the world,

They rig elections, underage voting ,religious violence just bunch of mesujambas

All of them with private jet na

Aguiyi Ironsi caused the problem by leading the first coup that toppled a democratically-elected government and destroying federalism.

Nope, atiku should shelve his presidential ambition

No!

Let's try southern president this time around...

Rubbish

All I know is that power must return to the south for Equity Justice and Fairness

Oga nobody would just give the East the chance, that's not how politics works.

2. Nnamdi Azikwe | 1963-1966 - South East
3. Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi | 1966 - South East

why dos liars con dey lie say Ibo never rule befor

NA S-E TURN.

If PDP jettisons zoning and Atiku wins against the spirit of zoning which he was a beneficiary of in 2019 presidential election, I believe after he’s done ruling as President and read to hand over to SE, APC would also field a Northerner after Atiku to also get power back from PDP against a SE candidate from PDP. The North will in the end rule in perpetuity.


Zoning will prevent North from forever ruling this country.

Southern PDP Politicians must vehemently insist on zoning to South, if they desire their southern successors to actually rule this country one day.

Otherwise APC and PDP will keep on springing up Northern candidate anytime the other candidate presents Southern candidate.

Though I don’t like Tinubu & never will but he has better chances to be APC’s candidate than Osinbajo. Osinbajo is only running for entertainment purposes. He is seen as a betrayal. As leader of the economic team under Buhari, he has destroyed the Nigerian economy. He also lacks the courage to speak truth to power. When the judiciary was humiliated, he did nothing to defend the profession. They used an exparte injunction to remove a CJN, harassed judges, disobeyed court judgments, violated human rights, killed protesters & he said nothing. On Igbo presidency I stand.

In a week that Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo chose to betray his SOLE benefactor by declaring to run against him for Presidency.

I love his running but hate the timing.

I hate betrayal and those who carry it out. I will rather walk away than be part of those who will betray a man who has helped me enormously in life.

Ebubu:
G

For goat

ikorodureporta:
S

For sun

2023 is all southern affairs.

The 5% slaves rooting for Atiku will fail.

A leader with brains, that’s all Nigeria needs to be the best in the world

Todpoe:
Noooo

Yesss ooo

Nigerialabalaba:
2. Nnamdi Azikwe | 1963-1966 - South East
3. Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi | 1966 - South East

why dos liars con dey lie say Ibo never rule befor

Nigeria was practicing parliamentary system of Government at the time.

The Prime Minister then is like the President now.

The president then is like a Vice President today.

Judging from the above it was only JTU that was the only Head of state of Igbo extraction and he stayed in office the shortest time ever

Williams3093:
Heads of State and Presidents of Nigeria Since Independence till date and their Zone

By Onyeke Ejike

1. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa | 1960-1963 - North East
2. Nnamdi Azikwe | 1963-1966 - South East
3. Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi | 1966 - South East
4. Yakubu Gowon | 1966-1975 - North Central
5.Murtala Rufai Mohammed | 1975-1976 - North West
6.Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo | 1976-1979 - South West
7.Alhaji Shehu Shagari | 1979-1983 - North West
8.Muhammadu Buhari | 1983-1985 - North West
9.Ibrahim Babangida | 1985-1993 - North Central
10.Ernest Adegunle Shonekan | 1993 - South West
11.Sani Abacha | 1993-1998 - North West
12.Abdulsalami Abubakar | 1998-1999 - North Central
13.Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo | 1999-2007 - South West
14.Umaru Musa Yar’Adua | 2007-2010 - North West
15.Goodluck Ebele Jonathan | 2010-2015 - South South
16.Muhammadu Buhari | 2015 - 2023 - North West

In the past 62 years of leading Nigeria post independence, the North through military heads and democratic presidents has led this country for 39 years. By the time Pa Buhari completes his tenure in 2023, the North must have led Nigeria for 40 years why the South has only led the country for 23 years. And I ask, should the North be in the ballot come 2023 presidential election?

This question brings us to issue of zoning. Zoning is always a beloved topic every time election is around the corner in our various locals, states and in the federal government. But in one way or the other, the greedy politicians who selfishly think leading is their birth right always find a way to subvert the interest of the less represented group. I say the interest of the most represented group because often time, it’s not because the marginalized group is the minority but because they have been intentionally removed from the spheres of influence and power even when in many cases, they are the powerful. This is not even my pain. My pain is the silence and should I say cluelessness and unpatriotic nature of the representatives of the marginalized. For instance those in the opposition party PDP who seems to have been bribed or cajoled into throwing the party ticket open because they may not have been able to build up a good argument for a Southern PDP presidential candidate.

Zoning may not be a constitutional provision in Nigeria but a social contractual obligation. According to social contract principle, we all agreed to come together to rest our political power in one man or group of men to represent our interest not merely according to the provision of the law nor the predispositions of gods but by the rational moral principles tending to the social good otherwise called the COMMON GOOD.

Although laws are explicit social contract such as that of the American constitution constituted by Americans from the circumstances of their co-existence, we cannot depend wholly on ours that was not entirely the dictate of our people hence do not always represent our whole experience as a conglomeration of nations. I hope the 2014 confab features zoning/rotational leadership from federal to local government. This is because it is rationally justifiable that there be an equal representation of all regions in the constitution of the government that manage the affairs that concern them and that entails rotational leadership.

Judging from our differences, this rotation should not only feature the North and South in the general perspective but the six constitutional geopolitical zones that make up this country. Hence, if we want to salvate this country, we must ensure that every zone in the country is always equally represented to give them a sense of belonging.

If someone from the South East is the president today, not only should a Northerner be the Vice, but a Northerner from the zone that should present the next president so that whoever becomes the Vice today will be someone who is expected to take over the presidency after the current administration. This will give room for the incoming president who was the vice to learn the problems of the the current administration and plan on how to salvage it with his team. If this is untenable, the vice should at least come from the zone that is least represented. That being the case, the Chief of Staff must be from another zone different from that of the president and vice, and the Secretary from another zone, the Senate president from another while the Speaker of the house should likewise come from the sixed zone in the light of the federal character principle.

But in a country filled with greedy and self centered politicians, the interest pf the public and the common wealth is not as important as their personal interest.

With the presence of the North in all sectors of the government in the current administration, they should not be in the ballot for the presidency come 2023. A Northerner should be a vice this time but not the president no matter the circumstances because the other region, the South has got credible candidates to succeed pa Buhari.

In the south, the South West and the South South haven been in power recently should give way and political support to the East for the sake of national integration as the East has not test power since the first republic. After the East in the South, the East in the North is expected to take over as they too have not tested power since independence.

In a Nutshell, Atiku Abubakar, Saraki, Bala Muhammad, Bello Yahaya and Aminu Tambuwal should Jettison their presidential ambition. They could pursue anything else for the sake of justice, and should support the South - the south east.

Northern presidential aspirants who want to be on the ballot are from PDP. They want to start the history of political leadership of Nigeria from 1999, instead of from 1960. Thus, the tell the foxy story that the last PDP president of Nigeria was from the south, therefore a northerner shall be the next PDP president of Nigeria - Tambuwal and Co. Story.
North has ruled Nigeria for nearly 70% of the time between 1960 and today.

Fundamental human rights to be voted for & to vote, is an inalienable rights that can be denied to mankind.

If PDP chose to Atikulate because of $ 10,000.00, at the convention, I pray history writers will be fair to Northerners & write the truth that some hungry southerners choose money over national interest.

Nonsense, why blame the cowardice of your Generals to stake their lives and wage a coup on others.

Don't blame the north for ruling for so many years. Their Generals, unlike ours, were brave enough to organise a coup while our so so timid too.

Let's jettison this idea of ethnicity and religion and think of the competence of the candidate. Period.

gracealonev:
Aguiyi Ironsi caused the problem by leading the first coup that toppled a democratically-elected government and destroying federalism.

Zik started it all when he dashed the Prime Minister to Tafawa Balewa from the North for nothing, despite him being supposed to be the anointed Prime Minister, a favor the selfish North has refused to return till date