Who among the following was not a military leader in Nigeria?

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was not a military leader. He was a civilian politician who served as Nigeria's first and only Prime Minister from independence in 1960 until the military coup of 15 January 1966, in which he was killed. Tafawa Balewa was a member of the Northern People's Congress (NPC) and rose to prominence through the democratic political process during the late colonial period.

The other three figures were all military leaders who ruled Nigeria:

• Yakubu Gowon was a military officer who became Head of State after the counter-coup of July 1966 and led the Federal Government throughout the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970). He ruled until he was overthrown in 1975.
• Ibrahim Babangida was a military general who seized power in a coup in August 1985 and ruled as military president until he stepped aside in August 1993.
• Sani Abacha was a military general who took power in November 1993 and ruled as Head of State until his death in June 1998.

Tafawa Balewa stands out as the only civilian among the four, having been elected to office through parliamentary democracy rather than assuming power through military means.