Fourth Nigerian Republic

Federal Republic of Nigeria Jamhuriyar Tarayyar Najeriya (Hausa) Ọ̀hàńjíkọ̀ Ọ̀hànézè Naìjíríyà (Igbo) Orílẹ̀-èdè Olómìniira Àpapọ̀ Nàìjíríà (Yoruba)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress"
Anthem: "Nigeria, We Hail Thee"
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Capital	Abuja 9°4′N7°29′E / 9.067°N 7.483°E / 9.067; 7.483
Largest city	Lagos
Official languages	English
National languages	Hausa Igbo Yoruba
Regional languages [1]	Over 525 languages [2]
Ethnic groups (2018) [3]	30% Hausa 15.5% Yoruba 15.2% Igbo 6% Fulani 2.4% Tiv 2.4% Kanuri 1.8% Ibibio 1.8% Ijaw 19.9% other
Demonym(s)	Nigerian
Government	Federal presidential republic
•  President	Bola Tinubu
•  Vice President	Kashim Shettima
•  Senate President	Godswill Akpabio
•  House Speaker	Tajudeen Abbas
•  Chief Justice	Kudirat Kekere-Ekun
Legislature	National Assembly
•  Upper house	Senate
•  Lower house	House of Representatives
Formation
•  Current constitution adopted	29 May 1999
Area
• Total	923,769 km2 (356,669 sq mi)(31st)
• Water (%)	1.4
Population
• 2023 estimate	236,747,130 [4] (6th)
• Density	249.8/km2 (647.0/sq mi)(42nd)
GDP  (PPP)	2024 estimate
• Total	$1.443 trillion [5] (27th)
• Per capita	$6,340 [5] (142nd)
GDP  (nominal)	2024 estimate
• Total	$252.738 billion [5] (53rd)
• Per capita	$1,110 [5] (167th)
Gini  (2020)	35.1 [6] medium inequality
HDI  (2023)	0.560 [7] medium (164th)
Currency	Naira (₦) (NGN)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (WAT)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Calling code	+234
ISO 3166 code	NG
Internet TLD	.ng
Preceded by Military dictatorship in Nigeria

The Fourth Republic is the current republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999, it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution. Nigeria adopted the constitution of the Fourth Republic on 29 May 1999. ^[8]

Founding

Following the death of the military dictator and de facto ruler of Nigeria, General Sani Abacha in 1998, his successor General Abdulsalami Abubakar initiated the transition which heralded Nigeria's return to democratic rule in 1999. The ban on political activities was lifted, and political prisoners were released from detention facilities. The constitution was styled after the ill-fated Second Republic — which saw the Westminster system of government jettisoned for an American presidential system. Political parties were formed (People's Democratic Party (PDP), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and Alliance for Democracy (AD)), and elections were set for April 1999. In the widely monitored 1999 election, former military ruler Olusegun Obasanjo was elected on the PDP platform. On 29 May 1999, Obasanjo was sworn in as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In the controversial general election on 21 April 2007, Umaru Yar'Adua of the PDP was elected president.

Following the death of Umaru Yar'Adua on 5 May 2010, Goodluck Jonathan became the third president(Interim) ^[9] and later won the election the following year which was largely accredited as freer and fairer than all the previous elections of the 4th Republic. ^[10] Muhammadu Buhari then won the general elections on 28 March 2015 after the PDP rule of sixteen years (1999–2015). ^[11]

On 29 May 2015, Buhari was sworn in as President of Nigeria, becoming the first opposition figure to win a presidential election since independence in 1960. ^[12] On 29 May 2019, Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in for a second term as Nigeria's president, after winning the presidential election in February 2019. ^[13]

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, won the February 2023 presidential election to succeed Muhammadu Buhari as the next president of Nigeria. However, the opposition had accusations of electoral fraud in polls. ^[14] On 29 May 2023, Bola Tinubu was sworn in as Nigeria’s president to succeed Buhari. ^[15]

Political parties

Major parties

• All Progressives Congress (APC) - ruling party
• People's Democratic Party (PDP) - opposition party

Defunct major opposition

• All People's Party (APP)
• Alliance for Democracy (AD)
• All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)
• Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)

Minor parties

Accord	A
Action Alliance	AA
Action Democratic Party	ADP
Action Peoples Party	APP
African Action Congress	AAC
African Democratic Congress	ADC
All Progressives Grand Alliance	APGA
Allied Peoples Movement	APM
Boot Party	BP
Labour Party	LP
National Rescue Movement	NRM
New Nigeria Peoples Party	NNPP
Peoples Redemption Party	PRP
Social Democratic Party	SDP
Young Progressive Party	YPP
Zenith Labour Party	ZLP

Presidents

Presidents during the Nigerian Fourth Republic

President	Term	Party
Olusegun Obasanjo	29 May 1999 – 29 May 2007	PDP
Umaru Yar'Adua	29 May 2007 – 5 May 2010	PDP
Goodluck Jonathan	6 May 2010 – 29 May 2015	PDP
Muhammadu Buhari	29 May 2015 – 29 May 2023	APC
Bola Tinubu	29 May 2023 – present	APC

Constitutional amendments

• Third Term Agenda

See also

• Nigerian First Republic (1963–66)
• Nigerian Second Republic (1979–83)
• Nigerian Third Republic (1992–93)

Further reading

• John A. Ayoade, and Adeoye A. Akinsanya, eds. Nigeria's Critical Election, 2011 (Lexington Books; 2012)

References

1. "Languages of Nigeria". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
2. Blench, Roger (2014). An Atlas Of Nigerian Languages. Oxford: Kay Williamson Educational Foundation.
3. "Africa: Nigeria". The World Factbook . Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
4. "Nigeria". The World Factbook (2025 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.
5. "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Nigeria)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
6. "Poverty and Inequality Index". National Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
7. "Human Development Report 2023/24". United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
8. "June 12, NASS and Nigeria's Fourth Republic". Punch Newspapers. 2019-06-12. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
9. "Goodluck Jonathan wins vote to run in Nigeria's April election". The Guardian. Associated Press. 14 January 2011.
10. "Nigeria election: Riots over Goodluck Jonathan win". BBC News. 17 April 2011.
11. "Nigeria election: Muhammadu Buhari wins presidency". BBC News. 31 March 2015.
12. "Nigeria's President Buhari promises change at inauguration". BBC News. 29 May 2015.
13. Abang, Mercy. "Nigeria's Muhammadu Buhari sworn in for second term as president". www.aljazeera.com.
14. "Who is Bola Tinubu, Nigeria's president-elect?". www.aljazeera.com.
15. "Bola Tinubu sworn in as Nigeria's president, succeeds Buhari". www.aljazeera.com.

• The History of Nigeria
• Media Accountability and Democracy in Nigeria