Shehu Shagari won the 1979 Presidential Election under

Analyze the question: The question asks which political party Shehu Shagari belonged to when he won the 1979 Presidential Election, the first election of Nigeria's Second Republic.

Concept: Parties of the Second Republic (1979)

| Party | Full Name | Leader/Candidate | |---|---|---| | NPN | National Party of Nigeria | Shehu Shagari | | UPN | Unity Party of Nigeria | Obafemi Awolowo | | NPP | Nigeria People's Party | Nnamdi Azikiwe | | GNPP | Great Nigeria People's Party | Waziri Ibrahim | | PRP | People's Redemption Party | Aminu Kano |

Step-by-step solution:

1. The 1979 election was organised by the Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) under General Olusegun Obasanjo's military handover to civilian rule.
2. Alhaji Shehu Shagari ran as the presidential candidate of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
3. He won the most votes and met the constitutional requirement of 25% of votes in at least two-thirds of the states. The famous dispute was over whether 12⅔ of the 19 states counted as two-thirds. FEDECO ruled that he qualified, and the courts upheld it.
4. He was sworn in on 1 October 1979 and re-elected in 1983 under the same party, before being overthrown by General Muhammadu Buhari in December 1983.

Correct answer: B. NPN

Why the others are wrong:

• A. UPN was Awolowo's party.
• C. NPP was Azikiwe's party.
• D. GNPP was Waziri Ibrahim's party.

Exam tip: Pair each leader with a party and remember the order "Shagari – NPN, Awolowo – UPN, Azikiwe – NPP, Aminu Kano – PRP, Waziri – GNPP." The "N" in NPN can remind you of "National", as in a nationally spread win.