Principles and Practices of Nigerian Military Government

In this article, a Nigerian military system of governance is explicated. It was the dominant mode of governance in Nigeria until civilian rule was restored in 1999, initially under a former military ruler. Starting from the first military coup in January 1966, Nigeria experienced over 33 years of this system, with one civilian interregnum (1979-1983). Although touted as “corrective” regimes, what transpired in Nigeria was the evolution and entrenchment of a particular mode of governing with implicit and explicit principles and practices. Like the colonial system which it replicated, these bouts of military rule profoundly influenced the structure and character of the Nigerian polity