| Post: | Vice President |
| Body: | the Federal Republic of Nigeria |
| Insignia: | Seal of the Vice President of Nigeria.svg |
| Insigniasize: | 120 |
| Insigniacaption: | Seal of the vice president |
| Flagborder: | yes |
| Incumbent: | Kashim Shettima |
| Incumbentsince: | 29 May 2023 |
| Unofficial Names: | THE VP |
| Abbreviation: | V-POFRON |
| Member Of: | Federal Executive Council National Economic Council National Security Council |
| Status: | Second highest executive branch officer |
| Residence: | Akinola Aguda House |
| Seat: | Abuja, F.C.T. |
| Appointer: | Direct popular election or, if vacant, President via National Assembly confirmation |
| Termlength: | Four years, renewable once |
| Constituting Instrument: | Constitution of Nigeria |
| Succession: | First |
| Nominator: | Presidential candidate |
| Inaugural: | Babafemi Ogundipe (Military) Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme (Elected) |
| Salary: | ₦12,126,000 annually[1] |
The vice president of Nigeria is the second-highest official in the executive branch of the federal government of Nigeria, after the president of Nigeria, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. Officially styled vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the vice president is directly elected together with the president to a four-year term of office.
Kashim Shettima is the 15th and current vice president of Nigeria, he assumed office on 29 May 2023.[2]
Candidates eligible for the office of vice president must be a citizen of Nigeria by birth, at least 40 years of age, a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party.[3]
The Constitution of Nigeria specifies an oath of office for the vice president of the federation. The oath is administered by the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria or the person for the time being appointed to exercise the functions of that office. It is the same oath recited by deputy state governors, ministers, commissioners and special advisers to the president.
The executive functions of the Nigerian vice president includes participation in all cabinet meetings by statute and membership in the National Security Council, Federal Executive Council, and a constitutional role of being the chairman of the National Economic Council. Although the vice president may take an active role in establishing policy in the executive branch by serving on such committees and councils, the relative power of the Nigerian vice president depends upon the duties delegated by the president. The vice president cannot make executive orders or decisions without the assent of the president because the president holds full executive and presidential powers. The vice president by a matter of law is not a constitutional deputy to the president, the office is fully and independently presidential but the executive powers are hibernated until the president is unable to function by any means, in which case he or she becomes the acting president. In the instance of resignation, impeachment or death of the president, the vice president being the first in line of succession becomes the president of Nigeria. [4]
See main article: Military dictatorship in Nigeria. Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu orchestrated the bloody military coup d'état of 1966 which overthrew the First Republic, parliamentary system of government was abolished and the office of the Vice President was established with Babafemi Ogundipe becoming the first Vice President as Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters.
| Chief of Staff | Term of office | Military | Head of State | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||
| 1 | Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe | 16 January 1966 | 29 July 1966 | Central Military Government | Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi | ||
| 2 | Vice Admiral Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey | 1 August 1966 | 29 July 1975 | Federal Military Government | General Yakubu Gowon | ||
| 3 | Lieutenant General Olusegun Obasanjo | 29 July 1975 | 13 February 1976 | General Murtala Muhammed | |||
| 4 | Major General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua | 13 February 1976 | 30 September 1979 | General Olusegun Obasanjo | |||
See main article: Second Nigerian Republic. Under the 1979 Constitution, the second constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the president was both head of state and government. The president along with the vice president were elected for a four-year term. In the event of a vacancy, the vice president would have served as acting president.
See main article: Military dictatorship in Nigeria. Major-General Muhammadu Buhari was made military head of state following the coup d'ètat of 1983, which overthrew the Second Republic, Major General Tunde Idiagbon became the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters.
| Chief of Staff/ Vice President | Term of office | Military | Head of State/ President | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||
| 6 | Major General Tunde Idiagbon | 31 December 1983 | 27 August 1985 | Supreme Military Council | Major General Muhammadu Buhari | ||
| 7 | Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe | 27 August 1985 | October 1986 | Armed Forces Ruling Council | General Ibrahim Babangida | ||
| 8 | Admiral Augustus Aikhomu | October 1986 | 26 August 1993 | ||||
Chief Ernest Shonekan was made interim head of state of Nigeria following the crisis of the Third Republic. He initially announced his vice president to be Moshood Abiola the supposed winner of the 12 June 1993 elections, which the latter rejected stating he was the rightful successor to the presidency.
| Vice President | Period | Head of State | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacant | 26 August 1993 | 17 November 1993 | Chief Ernest Shonekan | |||
See main article: Military dictatorship in Nigeria. General Sani Abacha led the palace coup d'ètat of 1993 which overthrew the Interim National Government, Lieutenant general Oladipo Diya became the Chief of General Staff.
| Chief of General Staff | Term of office | Military | Head of State | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 9 | Lieutenant General Donaldson Oladipo Diya | 17 November 1993 | 21 December 1997 | Provisional Ruling Council | General Sani Abacha | |||
| Vacant | ||||||||
| 10 | Vice Admiral Michael Akhigbe | 9 June 1998 | 29 May 1999 | Provisional Ruling Council | General Abdulsalami Abubakar | |||
See main article: Fourth Nigerian Republic. Under the fourth Constitution of the Republic of Nigeria, the president is head of both state and government. The president along with the vice president are elected for a four-year renewable term. In the event of a vacancy, the Vice President serves as acting president.
| Vice President | Term of office | Political party | Elected | President | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
| 11 | Atiku Abubakar | 29 May 1999 | 29 May 2007 | People's Democratic Party | 1999 2003 | Chief Olusegun Obasanjo | |||
| 12 | Goodluck Ebele Jonathan | 29 May 2007 | 6 May 2010 | People's Democratic Party | 2007 | Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua | |||
| Vacant | Goodluck Jonathan | ||||||||
| 13 | Namadi Sambo | 19 May 2010 | 29 May 2015 | People's Democratic Party | 2011 | ||||
| 14 | Yemi Osinbajo | 29 May 2015 | 29 May 2023 | All Progressives Congress | 2015 2019 | Muhammadu Buhari | |||
| 15 | Kashim Shettima | 29 May 2023 | Incumbent | All Progressives Congress | 2023 | Bola Tinubu | |||
| Rank | Vice president | Political party | Total time in office | Cause of end of term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey | Military | Deposed | ||
| 2 | Atiku Abubakar | Natural expiration | |||
| 3 | Yemi Osinbajo | All Progressives Congress | Natural expiration | ||
| 4 | Augustus Aikhomu | Military | Resignation | ||
| 5 | Namadi Sambo | Natural expiration | |||
| 6 | Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme | Deposed | |||
| 7 | Donaldson Oladipo Diya | Military | Deposed and arrested for treason | ||
| 8 | Shehu Musa Yar'Adua | Military | Resignation | ||
| 9 | Goodluck Ebele Jonathan | Death of Yar'Adua | |||
| 10 | Tunde Idiagbon | Military | Deposed | ||
| 11 | Kashim Shettima | All Progressives Congress | In office | ||
| 12 | Ebitu Ukiwe | Military | Resignation | ||
| 13 | Michael Akhigbe | Military | Resignation | ||
| 14 | Olusegun Obasanjo | Military | Assassination of Murtala Muhammed | ||
| 15 | Babafemi Ogundipe | Military | Deposed |
The vice president of Nigeria resides at Akinola Aguda House.