Since Nigeria gained independence in 1960, there have been five military coups. The first coup happened in January 1966. Military officers overthrew the government and ended the First Nigerian Republic. The second coup happened on July 1975 when a military colonel, Joseph Nanven Garba, announced that he and other officers have replaced the sitting president, Yakubu Gowon. The net military coup happened on December 1983, which ended the Second Nigerian Republic. Two years later, in August 1985, the fourth coup happened. This coup overthrew the government of Muhammadu Buhari, which was described as “inconsistent” and “incompetent.” The last coup happened in November 1993 and ushered the Third Nigerian Republic.
The 1993 Military Coup
Shortly before the 1983 military coup, tension between the civilians and the military was escalating. One contributing factor was the border dispute between Nigeria and Chad. President Shehu Shagari’s order was for the military to avoid entering Chadian territory. This was disregarded by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari when his unit chased Chadian intruders fifty kilometres into Chad. The border issue became highly divisive, placing the civilian government and the military on opposing sides.
The National Security Organization detected several coup plots but was unable to pursue it as the intelligence gathered around it was tenuous and vague.
But on December 31, 1983, the Nigerian military coup took place. Coordinated by key military officers, the 1983 coup led to the ousting of President Shehu Shagari, a democratically elected president, and the installation of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the head of state.
The 1985 Military Coup
The 1985 coup d’état took place in August 27, 1985. Chief of Army Staff Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Babangida led a faction of midlevel military officers to overthrow the government of Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who two years before led a coup that installed him as head of the government. To justify his takeover, Babangida said that that Buhari failed to deal with the country’s economic problems. He promised “to rejuvenate the economy ravaged by decades of government mismanagement and corruption.”
Sources:
Wikipedia. “The 1983 Coup D’etat.” Last modified June 3, 2022.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Nigerian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat.
Wikipedia “Military coups in Nigeria.” Last modified February 19, 2023.
Wikipedia. “The 1985 Coup D’etat.” Last modified July 4, 2022.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_Nigerian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat.