₦airaland Forum

DomPerignon:
According to Nigeria’s former President Alhaji Shehu Shagari in his famous book Beckoned to serve, said when the Head of Government Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was abducted and later killed,the Nigerian constitution provides that the Deputy Prime Minister,who was then Alhaji Zanna Bukar Diprachima was supposed to takeover as the New leader of Nigeria.

But when Shagari and Co learnt that the First indigenous General Officer Commanding the Nigerian Armed Forces ,Major General Aguiyi Ironsi has escaped and was able to hijack the coup,Shagari in company of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s aides went to him to discuss the transfer of power to the Deputy Prime Minister Alhaji Zanna Bukar Diprachima.

As they enter where Ironsi is hiding , probably Nigeria’s Police Headquarters ,they met Nigeria’s Senate President Dr Nwafor Orizu with General JTU Aguiyi Ironsi.

According to the rules, Dr Nwafor Orizu was empowered by Nigerian laws to invite the Deputy Prime Minister to form and Head the new Government.

Murtala Coup: 45 years after(Nigeria’s first bloodless)

But surprisingly ,the senate President Dr Nwafor Orizu told Alhaji Shehu Shagari and some survivors of the coup that they should go back home and when any issue came up with regards to the formation of New Government they will ask them to come back.

Former President Shehu Shagari and the rest went out,after a while they heard Dr Nwafor Orizu over Radio Nigeria making some remarks about the mutiny where he finally invited the General Officer Commanding the Nigerian Armed Forces ,Major General Johnson Thomas Umunakwe Aguiyi Ironsi to make some remarks ,in which he later announced himself as the New Head of State of Nigeria.

Chief Richard Akinjide, a former Attorney General and Justic Minister confirned Shagari's narratives of events in his own book as well. Akinjide narrated that The G.O.C , General Aguiyi Ironsi, said he wanted to see all the cabinet ministers.

According to Akinjide: “And so we assembled at the cabinet office. Well, I have read in many books saying that we handed over to the military. We did not hand- over. Ironsi told us that ‘you either hand over as gentlemen or you hand-over by force’. These were his words. Is that voluntary handover?

So we did not handover. We wanted the Acting Prime Minister to be in place but Ironsi forced us, and I use the word force advisedly, to handover to him. He was controlling the soldiers.


The Acting President, Nwafor Orizu, “who did not co-operate with us cooperated with the GOC. Dr Orizu and the GOC prepared speeches which Nwafor Orizu broadcast, handing over the government of the country to the army. I hereby state categorically as a member of that cabinet that we did not handover voluntarily. It was a coup.”

Below is from the speech delivered Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN, at the public presentation of the first edition of the book “Fellow Countrymen – the story of Coup D’etats in Nigeria,” by Richard Akinnola on June 12, 2000):

[i]Talking of the first coup, when Balewa got missing, we knew Okotie-Eboh had been killed, we knew Samuel Akintola had been killed. We the members of the Balewa cabinet started meeting. But how can we have a cabinet meeting without the Prime Minister acting or the Prime Minister presiding. So, unanimously, we nominated acting Prime Minister amongst us and we continued holding our meetings.


Then we got a message that we should all assemble at the Cabinet office. All the Ministers were requested by the G.O.C. of the Nigerian Army, General Aguiyi Ironsi to assemble. What was amazing at that time was that Ironsi was going all over Lagos unarmed.

We assembled there, having nominated Zana Diphcharima as our acting prime minister in the absence of the Prime Minister, whose where about we didn’t know. We approached the acting President, Nwafor Orizu to swear him in because he could not legitimately act as the Prime Minister except he was sworn in. Nwafor Orizu refused. He said he needed to contact Zik who was then in West Indies.


Under the Law, that is, the interpretation Act, as acting President, Nwafor Orizu had all the powers of the President.

The G.O.C said he wanted to see all the cabinet ministers. And so we assembled at the cabinet office. Well, I have read in many books saying that we handed over to the military. We did not hand- over. Ironsi told us that “you either hand over as gentlemen or you hand-over by force”. These were his words. Is that voluntary handover? So we did not handover. We wanted the Acting Prime Minister to be in place but Ironsi forced us, and I use the word force advisedly, to handover to him. He was controlling the soldiers.


The acting President, Nwafor Orizu, who did not co-operate with us cooperated with the GOC. Dr Orizu and the GOC prepared speeches which Nwafor Orizu broadcast, handing over the government of the country to the army. I hereby state categorically as a member of that cabinet that we did not handover voluntarily. It was a coup.[/I]


From both Shehu Shagari and Chief Akinjide's account we can easily conclude that no effort was made to locate the then missing PM and that both Ironsi and Orizu had first hand knowledge that the PM was dead.

Orizu who was acting as President of Parliament in Zik's absence and who was of the NCNC - a junior party in the coalition government led by the NPC bluntly refused to accede to the demands by NPC MPs to swear in the deputy PM but instead without any consultation and consensus with their senior partners in the NPC went on air to introduce Ironsi as the new defacto HoS.

Orizu not only gave full tacit support to Ironsi seizing power but went as far as bringing an abrupt end to our democracy.

As I have said here severally, the Jan 15 coup was an Ibo coup orchestrated by Ibo politicians led by Zik for the sole purpose to halt the inevitable secccesion of the ethnic minorities in the old Eastern region.


As for Zik, when he was interviewed in far away Haiti by the BBC on what his reaction to a military take over , Zik was in full support.

Zik , in that interview , stated with full confidence that in the absence of the PM the military should take over. Zik spoke like somome who knew already that the PM was dead . At that time of Zik granting that interview and Ironsi declaring himself HoS after Orizu "handed over " to him, the PM was presumed missing.

DomPerignon:
According to Nigeria’s former President Alhaji Shehu Shagari in his famous book Beckoned to serve, said when the Head of Government Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was abducted and later killed,the Nigerian constitution provides that the Deputy Prime Minister,who was then Alhaji Zanna Bukar Diprachima was supposed to takeover as the New leader of Nigeria.

But when Shagari and Co learnt that the First indigenous General Officer Commanding the Nigerian Armed Forces ,Major General Aguiyi Ironsi has escaped and was able to hijack the coup,Shagari in company of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s aides went to him to discuss the transfer of power to the Deputy Prime Minister Alhaji Zanna Bukar Diprachima.

As they enter where Ironsi is hiding , probably Nigeria’s Police Headquarters ,they met Nigeria’s Senate President Dr Nwafor Orizu with General JTU Aguiyi Ironsi.

According to the rules, Dr Nwafor Orizu was empowered by Nigerian laws to invite the Deputy Prime Minister to form and Head the new Government.

Murtala Coup: 45 years after(Nigeria’s first bloodless)

But surprisingly ,the senate President Dr Nwafor Orizu told Alhaji Shehu Shagari and some survivors of the coup that they should go back home and when any issue came up with regards to the formation of New Government they will ask them to come back.

Former President Shehu Shagari and the rest went out,after a while they heard Dr Nwafor Orizu over Radio Nigeria making some remarks about the mutiny where he finally invited the General Officer Commanding the Nigerian Armed Forces ,Major General Johnson Thomas Umunakwe Aguiyi Ironsi to make some remarks ,in which he later announced himself as the New Head of State of Nigeria.

Chief Richard Akinjide, a former Attorney General and Justic Minister confirned Shagari's narratives of events in his own book as well. Akinjide narrated that The G.O.C , General Aguiyi Ironsi, said he wanted to see all the cabinet ministers.

According to Akinjide: “And so we assembled at the cabinet office. Well, I have read in many books saying that we handed over to the military. We did not hand- over. Ironsi told us that ‘you either hand over as gentlemen or you hand-over by force’. These were his words. Is that voluntary handover?

So we did not handover. We wanted the Acting Prime Minister to be in place but Ironsi forced us, and I use the word force advisedly, to handover to him. He was controlling the soldiers.


The Acting President, Nwafor Orizu, “who did not co-operate with us cooperated with the GOC. Dr Orizu and the GOC prepared speeches which Nwafor Orizu broadcast, handing over the government of the country to the army. I hereby state categorically as a member of that cabinet that we did not handover voluntarily. It was a coup.”

Below is from the speech delivered Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN, at the public presentation of the first edition of the book “Fellow Countrymen – the story of Coup D’etats in Nigeria,” by Richard Akinnola on June 12, 2000):

[i]Talking of the first coup, when Balewa got missing, we knew Okotie-Eboh had been killed, we knew Samuel Akintola had been killed. We the members of the Balewa cabinet started meeting. But how can we have a cabinet meeting without the Prime Minister acting or the Prime Minister presiding. So, unanimously, we nominated acting Prime Minister amongst us and we continued holding our meetings.


Then we got a message that we should all assemble at the Cabinet office. All the Ministers were requested by the G.O.C. of the Nigerian Army, General Aguiyi Ironsi to assemble. What was amazing at that time was that Ironsi was going all over Lagos unarmed.

We assembled there, having nominated Zana Diphcharima as our acting prime minister in the absence of the Prime Minister, whose where about we didn’t know. We approached the acting President, Nwafor Orizu to swear him in because he could not legitimately act as the Prime Minister except he was sworn in. Nwafor Orizu refused. He said he needed to contact Zik who was then in West Indies.


Under the Law, that is, the interpretation Act, as acting President, Nwafor Orizu had all the powers of the President.

The G.O.C said he wanted to see all the cabinet ministers. And so we assembled at the cabinet office. Well, I have read in many books saying that we handed over to the military. We did not hand- over. Ironsi told us that “you either hand over as gentlemen or you hand-over by force”. These were his words. Is that voluntary handover? So we did not handover. We wanted the Acting Prime Minister to be in place but Ironsi forced us, and I use the word force advisedly, to handover to him. He was controlling the soldiers.


The acting President, Nwafor Orizu, who did not co-operate with us cooperated with the GOC. Dr Orizu and the GOC prepared speeches which Nwafor Orizu broadcast, handing over the government of the country to the army. I hereby state categorically as a member of that cabinet that we did not handover voluntarily. It was a coup.[/I]


From both Shehu Shagari and Chief Akinjide's account we can easily conclude that no effort was made to locate the then missing PM and that both Ironsi and Orizu had first hand knowledge that the PM was dead.

Orizu who was acting as President of Parliament in Zik's absence and who was of the NCNC - a junior party in the coalition government led by the NPC bluntly refused to accede to the demands by NPC MPs to swear in the deputy PM but instead without any consultation and consensus with their senior partners in the NPC went on air to introduce Ironsi as the new defacto HoS.

Orizu not only gave full tacit support to Ironsi seizing power but went as far as bringing an abrupt end to our democracy.

As I have said here severally, the Jan 15 coup was an Ibo coup orchestrated by Ibo politicians led by Zik for the sole purpose to halt the inevitable secccesion of the ethnic minorities in the old Eastern region.


As for Zik, when he was interviewed in far away Haiti by the BBC on what his reaction to a military take over , Zik was in full support.

Zik , in that interview , stated with full confidence that in the absence of the PM the military should take over. Zik spoke like somome who knew already that the PM was dead . At that time of Zik granting that interview and Ironsi declaring himself HoS after Orizu "handed over " to him, the PM was presumed missing.

alphaNomega:
completely false information

DomPerignon:
The Acting President, Nwafor Orizu, “who did not co-operate with us (but) cooperated with the GOC - Aguyi Ironsi. Dr Orizu and the GOC prepared speeches which Nwafor Orizu broadcast, handing over the government of the country to the army. I hereby state categorically as a member of that cabinet that we did not handover voluntarily. It was a coup.”

Goosethetruth:
Keep up the good work of posting historical truth.
When they failed to win at the ballot,they resorted to their military wing to snatch power through the barrel of the gun.
Azikiwe was in the know about the January 15th 1966 coup which was why he perpetually hid behind medical leave in the Caribbeans while his boys Ifeajuna and Nzeogwu carried out the supremacist masterplan.

Goosethetruth:
This video shows the still traumatised daughter of Brigadier Ademulegun telling the story of the cold blooded murder of her parents by non other than the treacherous Major Timothy Onwuategwu. A soldier that she called uncle. A soldier that was a regular visitor to their home. A soldier that regularly ate food from Mrs Ademulegun's dinning table.
This Major Timothy Onwuategwu gunned down his commander and his pregnant wife in front of their daughter on the night of January 15th 1966 in cold blood.
What treachery.
What dishonour.
What a supremacist agenda.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHHl8i_4Mmg?si=baNb-zK035aBRbqU

kettykin:
As the 2027 elections approach, prepare for a flood of calculated lies—engineered by desperate political vultures who thrive on division and deceit. This isn’t mere propaganda—it’s an orchestrated assault on truth, designed to twist history, distort facts, and weaponize ignorance to manipulate the masses. They will spew toxic narratives, recycle debunked falsehoods, and bait Nigerians into tribal distrust—because that’s all they have left: fear, hate, and chaos. These are not patriots—they are cowards terrified of a nation waking up.

Now, despite General Ibrahim Babangida’s crystal-clear clarification that the 1966 coup was not an Igbo conspiracy, these serial fabricators still cling to myths like a drowning man to a straw. And what do they offer in rebuttal? A cherry-picked, unverifiable claim from Richard Akinjide—an individual whose role in Nigerian history is at best controversial and whose credibility does not eclipse that of firsthand actors or authoritative voices.

So let’s ask the obvious: Who exactly is Richard Akinjide, and since when did his opinion override the lived testimonies of generals, presidents, and verified historical accounts? This isn’t scholarship—it’s selective delusion pushed by tribalist peddlers of hate who fear national unity because it dismantles their power.

Don't be misled. Truth is not built on noise or nostalgia—it is built on evidence, integrity, and the courage to confront lies no matter how loud they scream.

kettykin:
As the 2027 elections approach, prepare for a flood of calculated lies—engineered by desperate political vultures who thrive on division and deceit. This isn’t mere propaganda—it’s an orchestrated assault on truth, designed to twist history, distort facts, and weaponize ignorance to manipulate the masses. They will spew toxic narratives, recycle debunked falsehoods, and bait Nigerians into tribal distrust—because that’s all they have left: fear, hate, and chaos. These are not patriots—they are cowards terrified of a nation waking up.

Now, despite General Ibrahim Babangida’s crystal-clear clarification that the 1966 coup was not an Igbo conspiracy, these serial fabricators still cling to myths like a drowning man to a straw. And what do they offer in rebuttal? A cherry-picked, unverifiable claim from Richard Akinjide—an individual whose role in Nigerian history is at best controversial and whose credibility does not eclipse that of firsthand actors or authoritative voices.

So let’s ask the obvious: Who exactly is Richard Akinjide, and since when did his opinion override the lived testimonies of generals, presidents, and verified historical accounts? This isn’t scholarship—it’s selective delusion pushed by tribalist peddlers of hate who fear national unity because it dismantles their power.

Don't be misled. Truth is not built on noise or nostalgia—it is built on evidence, integrity, and the courage to confront lies no matter how loud they scream.

we don't know why these old good4nothing babas and grumps keeping salivating and disturbing everyone everyday about Igbos Igbos Igbos every year and year... Na wao

aribisala0:
Actually Babangida was crystal clear that it was an Ibo coup. His words The coup had an unmistakably ethnic coloration

please tell us which ethnic colour this was. Was it Ogoni perhaps

DomPerignon:
A case of a drowning man clutching at straws

The way they all latched on IBB's twisted narrative and usual dribbling to absolve the overwhelming role played by IBO politicians and military officers in truncating our democracy and regional assembly just goes to show how they have been lying all these years on their self assumed victimhood.

Goosethetruth:
This video shows the still traumatised daughter of Brigadier Ademulegun telling the story of the cold blooded murder of her parents by non other than the treacherous Major Timothy Onwuategwu. A soldier that she called uncle. A soldier that was a regular visitor to their home. A soldier that regularly ate food from Mrs Ademulegun's dinning table.
This Major Timothy Onwuategwu gunned down his commander and his pregnant wife in front of their daughter on the night of January 15th 1966 in cold blood.
What treachery.
What dishonour.
What a supremacist agenda.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHHl8i_4Mmg?si=baNb-zK035aBRbqU

richie240:
The average igboman can NEVER cooperate with non-igbos where his fellow igboman is, even if he's the least qualified! ....even if d fellow is autistic/brain-dead!



Go to the market associations, they can never allow an ebonyi man lead them, talkless of non-igbos.

aribisala0:
Terrible
Why can't they just say sorry

Justiceleague1:
Zik was the president,Tafawa Balewa was the prime minister and I only get to know now that Balewa's deputy was a fellow northerner.

These grumps should be asking and questioning that: why should northerners be prime minister and deputy prime minister?

Justiceleague1:
A very childish talk,shame.

Justiceleague1:
You need God's mercy, seriously.

That which you all seek,you all shall find,you and your family only.

DomPerignon:
According to Nigeria’s former President Alhaji Shehu Shagari in his famous book Beckoned to serve, said when the Head of Government Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was abducted and later killed,the Nigerian constitution provides that the Deputy Prime Minister,who was then Alhaji Zanna Bukar Diprachima was supposed to takeover as the New leader of Nigeria.

But when Shagari and Co learnt that the First indigenous General Officer Commanding the Nigerian Armed Forces ,Major General Aguiyi Ironsi has escaped and was able to hijack the coup,Shagari in company of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s aides went to him to discuss the transfer of power to the Deputy Prime Minister Alhaji Zanna Bukar Diprachima.

As they enter where Ironsi is hiding , probably Nigeria’s Police Headquarters ,they met Nigeria’s Senate President Dr Nwafor Orizu with General JTU Aguiyi Ironsi.

According to the rules, Dr Nwafor Orizu was empowered by Nigerian laws to invite the Deputy Prime Minister to form and Head the new Government.

Murtala Coup: 45 years after(Nigeria’s first bloodless)

But surprisingly ,the senate President Dr Nwafor Orizu told Alhaji Shehu Shagari and some survivors of the coup that they should go back home and when any issue came up with regards to the formation of New Government they will ask them to come back.

Former President Shehu Shagari and the rest went out,after a while they heard Dr Nwafor Orizu over Radio Nigeria making some remarks about the mutiny where he finally invited the General Officer Commanding the Nigerian Armed Forces ,Major General Johnson Thomas Umunakwe Aguiyi Ironsi to make some remarks ,in which he later announced himself as the New Head of State of Nigeria.

Chief Richard Akinjide, a former Attorney General and Justic Minister confirned Shagari's narratives of events in his own book as well. Akinjide narrated that The G.O.C , General Aguiyi Ironsi, said he wanted to see all the cabinet ministers.

According to Akinjide: “And so we assembled at the cabinet office. Well, I have read in many books saying that we handed over to the military. We did not hand- over. Ironsi told us that ‘you either hand over as gentlemen or you hand-over by force’. These were his words. Is that voluntary handover?

So we did not handover. We wanted the Acting Prime Minister to be in place but Ironsi forced us, and I use the word force advisedly, to handover to him. He was controlling the soldiers.


The Acting President, Nwafor Orizu, “who did not co-operate with us cooperated with the GOC. Dr Orizu and the GOC prepared speeches which Nwafor Orizu broadcast, handing over the government of the country to the army. I hereby state categorically as a member of that cabinet that we did not handover voluntarily. It was a coup.”

Below is from the speech delivered Chief Richard Akinjide, SAN, at the public presentation of the first edition of the book “Fellow Countrymen – the story of Coup D’etats in Nigeria,” by Richard Akinnola on June 12, 2000):

[i]Talking of the first coup, when Balewa got missing, we knew Okotie-Eboh had been killed, we knew Samuel Akintola had been killed. We the members of the Balewa cabinet started meeting. But how can we have a cabinet meeting without the Prime Minister acting or the Prime Minister presiding. So, unanimously, we nominated acting Prime Minister amongst us and we continued holding our meetings.


Then we got a message that we should all assemble at the Cabinet office. All the Ministers were requested by the G.O.C. of the Nigerian Army, General Aguiyi Ironsi to assemble. What was amazing at that time was that Ironsi was going all over Lagos unarmed.

We assembled there, having nominated Zana Diphcharima as our acting prime minister in the absence of the Prime Minister, whose where about we didn’t know. We approached the acting President, Nwafor Orizu to swear him in because he could not legitimately act as the Prime Minister except he was sworn in. Nwafor Orizu refused. He said he needed to contact Zik who was then in West Indies.


Under the Law, that is, the interpretation Act, as acting President, Nwafor Orizu had all the powers of the President.

The G.O.C said he wanted to see all the cabinet ministers. And so we assembled at the cabinet office. Well, I have read in many books saying that we handed over to the military. We did not hand- over. Ironsi told us that “you either hand over as gentlemen or you hand-over by force”. These were his words. Is that voluntary handover? So we did not handover. We wanted the Acting Prime Minister to be in place but Ironsi forced us, and I use the word force advisedly, to handover to him. He was controlling the soldiers.


The acting President, Nwafor Orizu, who did not co-operate with us cooperated with the GOC. Dr Orizu and the GOC prepared speeches which Nwafor Orizu broadcast, handing over the government of the country to the army. I hereby state categorically as a member of that cabinet that we did not handover voluntarily. It was a coup.[/I]


From both Shehu Shagari and Chief Akinjide's account we can easily conclude that no effort was made to locate the then missing PM and that both Ironsi and Orizu had first hand knowledge that the PM was dead.

Orizu who was acting as President of Parliament in Zik's absence and who was of the NCNC - a junior party in the coalition government led by the NPC bluntly refused to accede to the demands by NPC MPs to swear in the deputy PM but instead without any consultation and consensus with their senior partners in the NPC went on air to introduce Ironsi as the new defacto HoS.

Orizu not only gave full tacit support to Ironsi seizing power but went as far as bringing an abrupt end to our democracy.

As I have said here severally, the Jan 15 coup was an Ibo coup orchestrated by Ibo politicians led by Zik for the sole purpose to halt the inevitable secccesion of the ethnic minorities in the old Eastern region.


As for Zik, when he was interviewed in far away Haiti by the BBC on what his reaction to a military take over , Zik was in full support.

Zik , in that interview , stated with full confidence that in the absence of the PM the military should take over. Zik spoke like somome who knew already that the PM was dead . At that time of Zik granting that interview and Ironsi declaring himself HoS after Orizu "handed over " to him, the PM was presumed missing.

Justiceleague1:
You need God's mercy, seriously.

That which you all seek,you all shall find,you and your family only.

DomPerignon:
Yeteraday , they were marking Biafra day but when you bring out events that led to that rogue nation being declared they will call you a bigot and one looking to bring back old wounds despite them living in the past of those dark years.

Their hypocrisy stinks.

DMerciful:
Thats almost 60yrs ago.

Why has Nigeria failing today? What lessons has Nigeria learnt for the past 60yrs? Why is Nigeria progressively getting worse?

Why is Akpabio's senate a rubberstamp?

Goosethetruth:
Stop sprouting meaningless riddles and watch the damn video if you have enough data,then tell me the kind of man that kills a man and his heavily pregnant wife in front of their children late in the night except a traitor.

Goosethetruth:
Just defeat them by constantly and consistently posting the true facts or else their falsehood would have triumphed. As long as they keep on posting lies we must continue to post the truth.