Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central, has disclosed that the late Biafran leader General Chukwuemeka Ojukwu rejected involvement in the January 1966 coup led by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu.
In an Arise TV interview from 5:00, Senator Umeh cited former President Ibrahim Babangida’s revelations as an opportunity for national healing. “We should take advantage of this revelation and the clear statement made by Gen Babangida to begin the process of reconciliation and healing,” he stated.
Sen Umeh highlighted how Igbo Nigerians have faced decades of marginalization based on misconceptions about the coup. “The Igbos of Nigeria have been held in so much contempt with successive administrations in Nigeria, starting from Gowon, and were put on a very dark spot in the affairs of this country, that they organized a coup that killed some important people in Nigeria,” he said.
The senator challenged this narrative, adding, “But IBB’s book has exposed that the Igbos themselves crushed the 1966 coup. Major Obienu was credited to be one person who played a very pivotal role in crushing the coup.”
Sharing his personal conversations with Ojukwu, Umeh revealed, “Ojukwu was a commander in Kano at the time of the coup, and I read, and also I heard from him personally, because you know I worked with him for 5 years until his death; he was national leader of APGA, and I was National chairman of APGA.”
The Federal Lawmaker highlighted that certain discussions with Gen Ojukwu provided him with firsthand knowledge about a critical historical moment before the Coup. “At various times, I discussed these matters with him to get the truth of the matter. Ojukwu had a telephone exchange with Major Nzeogwu, where he declined to support the coup,” he explained.
He called for Nigerians to reconsider long-held beliefs about Igbo intentions. “So, I would like Nigerians to bury the hatchet and shift their mind from the narrative that the Igbos organized a coup for selfish reasons,” he concluded.
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