The architecture of the tetrapodal pentaamine ligand 2,6-bis(1′,3′-diamino-2′-methylprop-2′-yl)pyridine (pyN4, 1) allows it to coordinate to nickel(II) as a square pyramidal coordination cap. The pyridine nitrogen atom occupies an apical position of the coordination octahedron, while four equivalent pendent primary amino groups occupy the equatorial positions, with a sixth coordination site remaining for a monodentate ligand. Exchange of this ligand is facile, and a series of complexes [(1)NiX]n+ (X = OH2, OClO3, NCS, N3, {Cl-Ni(pyN4)}) has been prepared and characterised by elemental analysis, IR and UV/Vis spectroscopies (as applicable), and X-ray structure determination. While the solid state structures show varying degrees of distortion of the ligand cap 1 from C2v symmetry, a polynucleating coordination mode has not been observed. The ligand enables the synthesis of dinuclear nickel(II) complexes containing a single bridging ligand, as exemplified by the singly -chloro bridged complex [(1)Ni–Cl–Ni(1)](PF6)3. This complex has an antiferromagnetically coupled ground state of total spin ST = 0, as determined from variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements.