A retired senior military officer, Major-General Ibrahim Bata Malgwi (IBM) Haruna, has said the January 15, 1966 coup in Nigeria became inevitable because of deep political and regional imbalances shortly after independence. Haruna spoke in an interview to mark 60 years since the coup, which ended the First Republic and was a precursor to the 1967-1970 civil war.
Haruna served in the Nigerian Army from the early 1960s and later held key public positions, including Federal Commissioner for Information and Culture. He told Vanguard that Nigeria’s constitutional structure and competing regional interests created tensions that made military intervention likely.
Haruna said Nigeria’s post-independence constitution did not clearly define how powers would be shared among regions, which varied widely in size, population and resources. He said this lack of clarity fuelled tension among the North, East, and West regions, making a political rupture appear inevitable by 1966.
Haruna noted that officers who led the coup, including Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and others, were trained together and rose through the ranks at similar times, which tied them closely to national dynamics.
He explained that military recruits and security forces were unevenly distributed across regions, contributing to perceptions of bias and division within the armed forces.
The retired general rejected the idea that the coup was driven simply by ethnic dominance. Instead, he described the tensions as rooted in political disagreements and structural failures that predated independence.
Haruna said institutions such as ethnic-based political groups and uneven power dynamics shaped the environment that preceded the coup.
He said ongoing disputes over power, regional interests, and governance continued long after the coup and were then managed through different forums and national negotiations. Haruna emphasised that the coup reflected deeper systemic disagreements over identity, resource control, and political representation.
Haruna said one enduring lesson from the coup and the civil war that followed is the importance of democratic engagement and constitutional clarity. He noted that Nigeria’s path has shifted toward democracy and credible elections, which he sees as a preferable way to resolve political tensions.
On contemporary insecurity and political challenges, Haruna said Nigeria has never been fully secure, but changes in communication have made incidents more visible today than in the past. He stressed that long-standing governance and economic issues require sustained attention to build stability and unity.
Haruna also spoke about the need for national leadership to prepare conditions that support credible elections and peaceful transitions, stressing that democratic gains must be protected and nurtured.
The interview comes as Nigerians reflect on the impact of the 1966 coup on the nation’s political history and on ongoing efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and national cohesion.
