Renowned legal historian and author, Richard Akinnola, has described the 1985 palace coup that ousted then Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, as the most effortless in Nigeria’s history.
Speaking during an interview on the Edmund Obilo Podcast, Akinnola recounted how Buhari surrendered power without a fight, making the transition unusually smooth by military standards.
“Babangida was just waiting. I think Abdulmimini and Dangiwa came to Dodan Barracks and the man was just waiting there without any resistance,” Akinnola revealed.
The bloodless coup, which brought General Ibrahim Babangida to power, was executed by a small group of officers close to the military leadership at the time. Unlike previous coups marked by violence, arrests and confusion, this takeover was swift and met with no opposition from Buhari or his loyalists.
According to Akinnola, Buhari’s quiet submission surprised many observers and participants. The lack of resistance, he said, made the coup stand out in Nigeria’s turbulent history of military takeovers. “It was probably the easiest coup ever,” Akinnola added.
The August 27, 1985 coup ended Buhari’s short-lived regime which had begun in 1983 after he himself took power through a military coup. Babangida’s entry into office marked the beginning of a new era, one that would last until 1993 and significantly shape Nigeria’s political landscape.
Akinnola’s account adds a unique historical perspective to the event, emphasizing the calm and calculated nature of the takeover. His reflections offer insight into the inner workings of Nigeria’s military politics and how, at times, the most dramatic changes in leadership happen not through bloodshed, but through quiet surrender.
