The Supreme Military Council was the body that ruled

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after the 1966 coup d'état until it was dissolved following the 1979 parliamentary election and the Second Nigerian Republic. The Supreme Military Council was located at Dodan Barracks as the Supreme Military Headquartered (SMHQ) in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

. According to a Constitutional Decree, published in

on 17 March 1967, legislative and executive power was vested in the Supreme Military Council. The chairman of the council was the head of the Military Government. The Supreme

Military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

Council consisted of the Regional Military Governors and the Military Administrator of the Federal Territory, the Heads of the

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Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

and

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

, the

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of the Armed Forces and the Inspector-General of Police or his Deputy. The Supreme Military Council could delegate powers to a Federal Executive Council, predominantly composed of civilian Commissioners. The initial President of the Supreme Military Council was Maj.-Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. He was replaced by Murtala Muhammed (in

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

) and

Olusegun Obasanjo Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, , ( ; yo, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́ ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian political and military leader who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its presid ...

(in 1976) in successive coups. Following the 1983 coup d'état, Muhammadu Buhari created another Supreme Military Council that lasted until the 1985 coup d'état.

Members

The Military Governors of the twelve states of the federation were ''ex-officio'' members of the committee.

Sources

*''The Europa World Year Book 1970'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Supreme Military Council of Nigeria (1966-1979) Politics of Nigeria 1960s in Nigeria 1970s in Nigeria 1966 establishments in Nigeria 1979 disestablishments in Africa