Former federal permanent secretary and elder statesman, Philip Asiodu has recounted how he and other Nigerian officials were stranded in London following the overthrow of former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, during the 1975 military coup that brought Murtala Muhammed to power.
Speaking during an interview on The Legacy Series, Asiodu narrated the confusion that followed the sudden change of government while he and several others were outside Nigeria at the time of the coup.
According to him, the new authorities demanded that officials linked to the Gowon administration immediately return to Nigeria or risk being declared wanted. However, the situation became complicated because Lagos airport had not yet been reopened.
“They said if we didn’t come back, we will be declared wanted but they didn’t remember they had not opened Lagos airport,” Asiodu said during the interview.
He explained that he and the others were in London when the announcement was made, leaving them uncertain about how to comply with the directive from the new military leadership.
“So we were on the plane. We flew into Accra,” he added.
The July 1975 coup remains one of the defining moments in Nigeria’s political history. Gowon was removed from office while attending an Organisation of African Unity meeting in Uganda, ending his nearly nine-year rule.
The transition ushered in the administration of Murtala Muhammed, whose government later introduced sweeping reforms across the public service and military establishment…….See More
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