The Senator representing Abia North Orji Uzor Kalu, has offered a fresh perspective on the 1966 coup led by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, which has often been referred to as the “Igbo coup.”
Speaking during a televised interview Kalu, reacting to Ibrahim Babangida’s book Journey in Service, suggested that the coup was not solely an Igbo initiative, contrary to popular belief.
Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, pointed out that there were numerous details omitted in Babangida’s autobiography, and he urged the former military leader to elaborate further. One such detail, according to Kalu, was the involvement of former Head of State Olusegun Obasanjo in the coup. Kalu stated, “Let me be honest with you, President Obasanjo was part of the coup but he exonerated himself as normal.”
The senator claimed that many top military officers, including Obasanjo, were aware of the plot. He speculated that Obasanjo, who had returned from India at the time, must have known about the coup, especially since he had close ties with several officers involved. Kalu also argued that Major Nzeogwu, despite hailing from Igbo land, was not a speaker of the Igbo language and had broader goals for a new Nigeria beyond ethnic divides.
Kalu added that while some officers were aware of the coup, it was when a few of them failed to carry out their responsibilities in Eastern Nigeria that the plot began to unravel. According to him, if those officers had followed through, the coup would have succeeded without issue.
The discussion surrounding Babangida’s revelations continues to spark debate, with many Nigerians now questioning the true dynamics of the 1966 coup.
