Nigeria@60:How Nwafor Orizu Installed General Ironsi as Head of State

Abbas Yushau Yusuf

As Nigeria clocks 60 years on the first of October 2020 ,series of events had happened in the political development of the Nigerian Nation.

One of such events was the January 15,1966 coup that swept the first Republic from office and the country had its first experience of military rule.

On the Night of the coup,the mutineer soldiers have abducted prominent political leaders and assassinated them.

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was abducted by one of the leading mutineers ,Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna,and was later killed around Ota in the present Ogun State with his minister of Finance Sir Festus Ekotie Eboh and Colonel Kur Muhammad.

But the most surprising thing 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 upposed 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.

Dr Nwafor Orizu

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.

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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.