1991(September): Administrative reform produced 9 new states and 140 additional local government areas. The date for transition to civilian rule was pushed back again, to January 2, 1993.

1991: The government reversed itself and allowed "old breed" politicians to take part in presidential politics.

1991(December): Elections for state governors were dominated by new breed politicians, but the presidential campaigns featured new and old breed politicians.

1992: Babangida shifs handover date again to 1993.

1992: Census figures show that Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, with 88.5 million people (Egypt is second with 52 million). Nigeria's GDP is second in Africa ($35 million to South Africa's $90 million), but per capita income is only $395.

1992(August/September): Presidential primaries marked by corruption, boycotts, violence, and illegality.

1992(October/November): Babangida cancelled the presidential primaries, banned leaders of both parties, and pushed the date of the presidential election back to mid 1993.

1993(March): New primaries yield Abiola and Tofa as presidential candidates. Primaries were marked by corruption.

1993 (June 12): Presidential elections are held and businessman Moshood Abiola of the SDP takes unexpected lead in early returns.

1993 (June 23): Babangida came on air to give reasons for annulling the results of the Presidential election. At least 100 people killed in riots in the southwest, Abiola's home area.

1993(August): Scheduled second round of presidential elections were not held.

1993 (August 26): Babangida keeps his promise to step down by naming an interim government of his own choice, headed by Ernest A. Shonekan.

1993 (October): The youthful group Movement for the Advancement of Democracy hijacked a Nigerian airliner to Niger in order to protest official corruption.

1993 (November 17): General Sani Abacha, defence minister in the interim government and most senior officer, seizes power abolishes the constitution and promises a short tenure.

1993 (November): The senate impeached their president, SDP member Iyorchia Ayu, a strong opponent of the interim government.

1993 (December): Abacha decided to keep the state governorships in military hands, in order to use them as patronage.

1994: Abiola proclaims himself president, is arrested and charged with treason. Army suppressed riots and strikes.

1994 (May): Abacha organizes the election of a Constitutional Conference.

1994 (October): The Nigerian government established the "Petroleum Trust fund" to disburse profits from the oil industry for public works and social intervention.

1995 (27 June): To celebrate the completion of a Draft Constitution by the Constitutional Conference, General Abacha re-allows political parties and political activity whithout "ruthless or provocative expressions". He does not, however, announce relief for political prisoners nor a deadline for elections

1995 (July): Former President Obasanjo is sentenced to 25 years in prison by a secret military tribunal for alleged participation in an attempt to overthrow the government.

1995 (September): Abacha gives way to international pressure by reprieving alleged coup plotters who have been sentenced to death.

1995 (1 October): Independence day; set date for the Provisional Ruling Council's proofreading of the Draft Constitution.

1995: Writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight members of his Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People are hanged for murder. Commonwealth suspends Nigeria. Arms and visa restrictions are imposed by the United States, European Union and South Africa impose . Abacha announces plan to restore civilian rule on October 1, 1998.

1996 (May): Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria's first president, died.

1996 (June): Kudirat Abiola, wife of Moshood Abiola, was shot by unknown gunmen.

1997 (January): Price of petrol is raised by 338 percent by the the Nigerian government, to reduce inflation and combat corruption. The governemt also introduces a five percent value-added tax (VAT), and devalued the currency by 386 percent.

1997 (December): Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, a former vice-president and political opponent of Abacha, died in prison, leading to charges that he was poisoned.

1998 (April): All five legal political parties adopt General Sani Abacha as their candidate for August 1 presidential elections.

1998 (June 8): General Sani Abacha died unexpectedly of a heart attack as he is poised to stand as the sole candidate in the August presidential elections.

1998 (June 9): Abubakar sworn in as Nigeria's eighth military ruler,by the "Provisional Ruling Council" (29 military officers). He promises to restore civilian rule.

1998 (July 7): Moshood Abiola died in detention of a heart disease before he could be released in a general amnesty for political prisoners. Rioting in Lagos led to over 60 deaths.

1998 (July 20): Abubakar promises to relinquish power on May 29, 1999.

1998 (Aug 31): People's Democratic Party becomes first major party to launch itself.

1998 (Sept 7): Release of draft constitution.

1998 (Nov 3): Obasanjo declares his intention to run for the presidency.

1999 (January 9): Elections to elect governors and legislators for Nigeria's 36 states.

1999 (January 28): Former finance minister Olu Falae selected by Alliance for Democracy (AD) as presidential candidate.

1999 (February 14): The executive of All Peoples Party announces choice of little known Ogbonnaya Onu its presidential candidate.

1999 (February 15): Former military ruler Obasanjo wins the presidential nomination of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

1999 (February 16): Falae named joint candidate of the alliance of All Peoples Party and Alliance for Democracy. Ogbonnaya Onu refuses to stand down for Falae.

1999 (February 17): Electoral commission clears Obasanjo and Falae for presidential elections.

1999 (May): A new Constitution adopted. It is based on the 1979 Constitution.

1999 (May 29): Former Military Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo, is sworn in as Nigeria's democratically elected civilian President.

1999 (July 19): Scandal breaks out in the Federal House of Representatives over the qualifications of the speaker, Ibrahim Salisu Buhari.

1999 (July 21): Ibrahim Salisu Buhari resigns as the Speakerof the Fedral House of Representatives.

1999 (October 27): Zamfara State adopts Sharia Law