President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday appointed Major General Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff to take over from Late Lt General Ibrahim Attahiru, who died alongside other top military chiefs, in an air crash last Friday, May 21.
Before, Yahaya’s appointment, many, including former Presidential aide, Reno Omokri, had called on the president to appoint the next chief of army staff from South East to help bring down the dust of division in the country while noting that the most senior officer after Late COAS Attahiru is from the South East.
Obviously, the president didn’t heed such calls and went on to appoint Major General Yahaya from Zamfara State.
But, See below, the names of all the Chiefs of Army Staff that have been appointed since 1999 when Nigeria returned to democratic rule, and the presidents that appointed them.
PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN AREMU OBASANJO (1999-2007)
REGION: South West.
STATE: Ogun State
RELIGION: Christian
He appointed CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF three times
1. VICTOR MALU
REGION: North Central
RELIGION: Christian
STATE: Benue State
TENURE: 1999 – 2001
2. ALEXANDER OGOMUDIA
REGION: South South
RELIGION: Christian
STATE: Delta State
TENURE: 2001 -2003
3. MARTIN LUTHER AGWAI
REGION: NORTH WEST
RELIGION: Christian
STATE: Kaduna State
TENURE: 2003 – 2006
4. OWOYE ANDREW AZAZI
REGION: South South
RELIGION: Christian
STATE: Bayelsa State
TENURE: 2006 – 2007
PRESIDENT UMORU MUSA YARADUA (2007 – 2010)
REGION: North West
STATE: Katsina State
RELIGION: MUSLIM
He appointed CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF twice
1. LUKA YUSUF
REGION: North West
RELIGION: Christian
STATE: Kaduna State
TENURE: 2007 – 2008
2. ABDULRAHMAN BELLO DANBAZAU
REGION: North West
RELIGION: Muslim
STATE: Kano State
TENURE: 2008 – 2010
PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (2010 – 2015)
REGION: South South
STATE: Bayelsa
RELIGION: Christian
He appointed CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF twice
1. AZUBUIKE IHEJIRIKA
REGION: South East
RELIGION: Christian
STATE: Abia State
TENURE: 2010 -2014
2. KENNETH MINIMAH
REGION: South South
RELIGION: Christian
STATE: Rivers State
TENURE: 2014 – 2015
PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI (2015 Till Date)
REGION: North West
STATE: Katsina State
RELIGION: Muslim
He appointed CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF three times
1. TUKUR YUSUF BURATAI
REGION: North East
RELIGION: Muslim
STATE: Borno State
TENURE: 2015 -2021
2. ATTAIRU IBRAHIM
REGION: North West
RELIGION: Muslim
STATE: Kaduna
TENURE: 2021 -2021
3. FAROUK YAHAYA
REGION: North West
RELIGION: Muslim
STATE: Zamfara
TENURE: 2021 Till Date.
So far, Nigeria has had four presidents since 1999 till date: Two from South, Two from North. Also, Two Muslims and Two Christians.
The four Presidents have appointed eleven ARMY Chiefs from 1999 Till Date.
REGION:
South = 4
North = 7
RELIGION:
Christians = 7
Muslims = 4
So, President Olusegun Obasanjo is the only President from South that appointed COAS from the NORTH.
President Umoru Musa Yaradua is also the only Muslim President that appointed Christian as his COAS
Both President Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari appointed COAS from both their region and their religion.
