Former Military Head of state, General Yakubu Gowon who clocked 80 years a few days ago reflected on the possible causes of the 1966 coup and the attendant civil war, saying that the mastermind of the coup, Major Chuwkuma Kaduna Nzeogwu had political bias.
General Gowon, who probably may have broken a longtime silence about events that led to the coup andthe eventual war that lasted almost three years, spoke at an interactive session on the African Independent Television, AIT, monitored in Abuja.
He revealed that Nzeogwu was politically indoctrinated by the political class, adding that the military do not involve themselves in politics; rather, it was strictly loyalty to the federal government and fatherland.
General Gowon said; “Nzeogwu is a pleasant young man, I didn’t know he was very political, a leftist with socialist tendency’, the former military head also pointed out that; “usually, in the army, we do not get into politics or any ideology. “
According to the former head of state, it was a development the political leadership took advantage of, possibly as the only way to bring about change.
He however noted that though coups were very impossible at that time, they were able to deal with the coup because of their loyalty to the government.
“Coups in army is impossible, how can Nzeogwu coup happen? We were loyal to government hence we were able to deal with Nzeogwu’s coup,’ he explained.
Source: Nigerian Pilot
