BY ERIC TENIOLA
TUESDAY, July 29,2025 will be the 50th anniversary of the overthrow of General Yakubu Gowon GCFR. He was overthrown in a bloodless military coup on the same Tuesday, July 29, 1975. Most of us remember where we were at 6.00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 29, 1975, when the Commander of the Brigade of Guards made the following announcement.
“Fellow countrymen and women, I, Colonel Joseph Nanven Garba, in consultation with my colleagues, do hereby declare that in view of what has been happening in our country in the past few months, the Nigerian Armed Forces decided to effect a change of the leadership of the Federal Military Government.
As from now, General Yakubu Gowon ceases to be head of the Federal Military Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. The general public is advised to be calm and to go about their lawful duties.
However, in view of the traffic situation in Lagos area, all workers other than those on essential services like NEPA, Medical Services, Water Works, NPA, the P & T, all workers and all Tanker Drivers will observe today, 29th of July, 1975, as a work free day.
A dusk to dawn curfew is hereby imposed until further notice. Nigeria Airways operations are suspended and all Airports and Borders are closed till further notice.
Fellow countrymen, this has been a bloodless operation and we do not want anyone to lose his or her life. You are therefore warned in your own interest to be law abiding. Anyone caught disturbing the public order will be summarily dealt with.
We appeal to everyone to co-operate in the task ahead. Further announcements will be made in due course. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
On a personal note, on that day I rushed to see my friend, late Richard Tokunbo Amayo of THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER, who was living nearby at Isale Ososami, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, to discuss what Colonel Garba has just announced on the radio. I was then the Western state Chief Correspondent for the Kwara Government state owned newspaper, THE NIGERIAN HERALD.
Colonel Joseph Garba (17 July 1943 – 1 June 2002) was from Langtang in the then Benue-Plateau state which was near Gowon’s aboriginal village in Angas. As a lieutenant in November 1964, Joe Garba was originally handpicked (by then Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon) from the 4th battalion in Ibadan, to the Federal Guards Company where he became the second-in-command to Major Donatus Okafor. He remained there until July 1965 when he was posted to 2 Brigade HQ as GSO III under Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna who served as Brigade Major to Brigadier Zakari
On October 1, 1970, General Gowon announced a six-year nine-point plan, which he said, must be accomplished “before the government of the country can be handed over with a full sense of responsibility”. The points were as follows: reorganization of the armed forces; implementation of a national economic development plan, including reconstruction of war damaged areas, eradication of corruption; establishment of more states; adoption of a new constitution; introduction of a formula for allocating revenue; completion of a national census; organization of national political parties; and elections at federal and state levels.
However, in another nationwide broadcast on October 1, 1974, General Gowon announced that the 1976 date was ‘unrealistic,’. He failed to announce a new date. He was overthrown because he broke his pledge to the people. While declaring a state of emergency, on May 27, 1967, during which he created twelve states, General Gowon declared “My duty is to all citizens. I propose to treat all sections of the country with equality. The main obstacle to future stability in this country is the present structural imbalance in the Nigerian Federation. Even Decree No. 8 or Confederation or Loose Association will never survive if any one section of the country is in a position to hold the others to ransom.”
General Gowon then appointed twelve governors of which only two of them are still alive. Those alive are Brigadier General Christpher Oluwole Rotimi (Rtd.) of defunct Western state (90) and Lt Commander Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff (Rtd.) of defunct Rivers state (82), the Amayanabo (King) of Twon-Brass, Bayelsa State.
The other governors he appointed from time to time and who have answered the final call were Mr. Joseph Dechi Gomwalk (13 April 1935– 15 May 1976) (Benue/ Plateau), Brigadier Musa Uman (Rtd.) (1940-1991), North East, Brigadier Abba Kyari (Rtd.) (17 November 1938 – 25 November 2018), North-Central, Brigadier Femi David Lasisi Bamigboye (7 December, 1940-21 September, 2018), Kwara state, Brigadier Jacob Udokaha Esuene (1936- 1993), South Eastern state, Anthony Ukpabi Asika (28 June 1936-14 September 2004), administrator, East Central state, Brigadier Mobolaji Olufunso Johnson (Rtd.) (8 February, 1936- October 30, 2019), Lagos state, Major General Robert Adeyinka Adebayo (9 March 1928 – 8 March 2017) Western state, Alhaji Usman Farouk (1932-18 December 2020), North West, Lt. Colonel David Akpode Ejoor (10 January 1932 – 10 February 2019) and Colonel Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia (17 September 1932 – 9 March 2017), Mid-West State and Alhaji Audu Bako (1924-1980), Police, Kano state.
The interesting thing is that General Yakubu Gowon survived them all including most of his Ministers, who were then classified as Federal Commissioners.
Those of the Federal Commissioners still alive are Brigadier Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR (Works and Housing) (88), Colonel Ahmadu Alli (Education) (89) and Alhaji Lateef Olufemi Okunnu (Works and Housing) (92).
Those of them who are now deceased were Major-General Eyo Okon Ekpo( Agriculture and Natural Resources), Professor Adebayo Adedeji (Economic Development and Reconstruction), Dr Okoi Arikpo (External Affairs), Alhaji Aliyu Usman Shehu Shagari (Finance) GCFR, Brigadier Emmanuel Olumuyiwa Abisoye (Health), Colonel Mohammed Inua Wushishi (Industries), Chief Edwin Kiagbado Clark(Information), Mr Adamu Suleman(Internal Affairs), Brigadier Henry Edmund Olufemi Adefope (Labour), Mr Gabriel Chukwuemeka Akwaeze(Trade) and Captain Olufemi Olumide (Transport).
