Which republic is Nigeria currently operating as a democratic nation?

Analyze the question: It asks which republic Nigeria is operating under as a democratic nation. This is a Nigerian constitutional history question.

Concept: Nigeria's Republics

• First Republic (1963-1966): Began when Nigeria became a republic, with Nnamdi Azikiwe as President and Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister. It ended with the January 1966 military coup.
• Second Republic (1979-1983): Shehu Shagari was President under the presidential system. It ended with the December 1983 coup.
• Third Republic (1993): A transition programme under Babangida. The June 12, 1993 election was annulled, so it never fully took off.
• Fourth Republic (1999-present): Began on May 29, 1999, when Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in under the 1999 Constitution.

Solution: Nigeria returned to civilian democratic rule on 29 May 1999. This is the Fourth Republic, and it is still ongoing today. It is the longest unbroken period of civilian rule in Nigeria's history.

A note on the "2002" date: Even when this question was set in 2002, the Fourth Republic was already the current one, since it began in 1999. The answer is the same then and now, so the question holds up.

Answer: D. Fourth

Exam tip: Remember the sequence by its dates: 1963 → 1979 → 1993 → 1999. Each republic is tied to a constitution: 1963 (First), 1979 (Second), 1989 (Third, which never took effect), 1999 (Fourth). If a question asks about "the present democratic dispensation," think 1999, which means the Fourth Republic.