As the transition toward elections progressed, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, a minister during Nigeria's First Republic, helped establish the largely northern National Party of Nigeria. When elections were held in 1979, Shagari won with 34 percent of the overall vote. But the vote failed to satisfy a critical test of the Federal Election Commission established to oversee the election. In order to prevent one region from dominating the balloting, the new FEDECO stipulated a candidate must win 25 percent of each state's vote. Since Shagari's vote totals came up short in some states, many declared his election illegitimate.

Despite the political standoff, Shagari assumed the newly delineated presidency, marking an end to 13 years of military rule.

But the questions of how he won his position continued to plague him through his first four-year term. When he ran for re-election in 1983, the international community and officials within Nigeria scrutinized the elections. Although he handily defeated his rivals in the balloting, reports emerged of widespread corruption and electioneering.

Violence flared throughout the country as those opposed to the president launched protests that often turned to rioting and looting. On New Year's Eve 1983, the military moved in to restore order, seizing power and placing Shagari under house arrest.