Buhari-Idiagbon consolidates military rule

Following their January 1984 coup, Major General Muhammadu Buhari and his deputy Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon restructured Nigeria's government around military command structures. They established the Supreme Military Council as the highest decision-making body, with military governors replacing civilian administrators in all states. The Armed Forces Ruling Council coordinated policy implementation while military tribunals took over judicial functions for certain offenses. This centralized system concentrated power in Lagos under direct military oversight.

The new military leadership inherited a country in severe economic crisis, with foreign debt exceeding $18 billion and oil revenues drastically reduced from the early 1980s global recession. Buhari and Idiagbon argued that Nigeria's democratic institutions had failed to address corruption and economic mismanagement under the Second Republic. They justified military rule as necessary for implementing harsh but essential economic reforms, including currency controls and anti-corruption measures that civilian politicians had been unwilling or unable to enforce.