Tuesday, July 29, 2025, marks exactly 50 years since General Yakubu Gowon, GCFR, was overthrown in a bloodless military coup. The dramatic event occurred on a Tuesday—July 29, 1975—and remains etched in the memory of many Nigerians. Most of us can still recall where we were at exactly 6:00 a.m. that morning, when the Commander of the Brigade of Guards made the historic announcement that changed the course of the nation.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

“Fellow Nigerians,” the announcement began, “this operation has been peaceful, and no blood has been shed. We urge everyone to remain law-abiding for their own safety. Any attempt to disrupt public order will be dealt with decisively. We ask for your cooperation in the critical work ahead. More updates will follow. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

That announcement—broadcast nationwide—was delivered by Colonel Joseph Garba. I vividly recall rushing to my friend, the late Richard Tokunbo Amayo of The Nigerian Observer, who lived nearby in Isale Ososami, Oke-Ado, Ibadan. We needed to digest what had just happened. At the time, I was the Western State Chief Correspondent for The Nigerian Herald, a newspaper owned by the Kwara State government.

Colonel Joseph Nanven Garba (July 17, 1943 – June 1, 2002), a native of Langtang in the former Benue-Plateau State, was close to General Yakubu Gowon, whose ancestral roots lay in Angas. As a lieutenant in November 1964, Garba was selected by then Lt. Col. Gowon from the 4th Battalion in Ibadan to serve in the Federal Guards Company under Major Donatus Okafor. He remained there until mid-1965, later serving under Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna at the 2 Brigade Headquarters.

General Yakubu Gowon, now 90, ruled Nigeria for nine uninterrupted years—longer than any other military head of state. On October 1, 1970, fresh from the end of the civil war, he outlined a nine-point transition programme aimed at reforming the military, rebuilding war-torn regions, eliminating corruption, creating new states, and holding national elections. However, on October 1, 1974, he reneged on the 1976 handover date, citing it as “unrealistic”—a decision that triggered widespread dissatisfaction.

Gowon’s earlier actions, such as the May 27, 1967 creation of 12 states during the declaration of a state of emergency, were landmark moments in Nigeria’s federal restructuring. He emphasized equity and unity, stating: “The main obstacle to stability is the structural imbalance in our Federation. No decree or loose association will work if any section can hold others to ransom.”

Of the 12 governors he appointed, only two—Brigadier Christopher Oluwole Rotimi (Western State) and Lt-Commander Alfred Diete-Spiff (Rivers State)—are still alive. The rest, including Joseph Gomwalk (Benue-Plateau), Abba Kyari (North Central), Femi David Bamigboye (Kwara), and Mobolaji Johnson (Lagos), have all passed on.

Many of Gowon’s federal commissioners are also deceased, though a few, such as General Olusegun Obasanjo (Works), Colonel Ahmadu Ali (Education), and Alhaji Femi Okunnu (Housing), are still alive. The period saw Nigeria governed for 10 months without a federal cabinet—an era dominated by the famed “super permanent secretaries” like Chief Phillip Asiodu, Chief Allison Ayida, and Chief Jerome Udoji.

The Ministry of National Planning, then Nigeria’s strategic engine room, led development under scholars like Professors Adebayo Adedeji and Ojetunji Aboyade. It coordinated major economic blueprints and spearheaded landmark initiatives such as the NYSC (established by Decree No. 24 of 1973), ECOWAS (founded in 1975), and an ambitious industrialisation policy that led to the establishment of over 40 state-backed enterprises across Nigeria.

Among these were Peugeot Nigeria, Ajaokuta Steel, Ashaka Cement, Delta Steel, Volkswagen Nigeria, Benue Cement, and the Nigeria Newsprint Manufacturing Company, among others. Unfortunately, many of these industries have collapsed or remain moribund today.

The indigenization decree of 1972 further sought to put key economic sectors in Nigerian hands, and by 1974, over 50 million shares in 24 companies had been transferred to Nigerian citizens. Agencies like the NNPC, National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria, and Standard Organization of Nigeria were all birthed under Gowon.

His failure, however, was in not relinquishing power. On July 29, 1975, while attending an OAU summit in Uganda, he was overthrown in a bloodless coup led by Brigadier Murtala Mohammed. In a stern broadcast, Murtala declared that Nigeria had “been left to drift” and that “irresponsible leadership and indifference” had taken root. He praised Gowon’s service, allowed him to retain his rank and benefits, and guaranteed his safety and freedom.

Gowon left Uganda for Togo aboard Idi Amin’s jet after receiving financial assistance from emotional Nigerian diplomats. He later reunited with his family in the UK, where he lived modestly and began undergraduate studies at Warwick University. Rejecting government accommodations, he was even photographed working in a university cafeteria—an image that embarrassed the new regime but reflected Gowon’s humility.

Despite being investigated, Gowon was never found guilty of corruption. Two of his governors—Mobolaji Johnson and Oluwole Rotimi—were also exonerated. Notably, Gowon’s personal savings after nine years in power amounted to only ₦75,000.

His foreign policy legacy includes helping to found ECOWAS alongside leaders like Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, William Tolbert, and Mathieu Kérékou. The bloc turned 50 in 2025, though it is now weakened.

General Gowon’s contributions to Nigeria’s political and economic foundation remain substantial, yet his reluctance to hand over power when he should have cast a long shadow over his rule. His legacy is complex: one of national unity, industrial ambition, and international diplomacy—but also one of missed opportunities and the tragedy of a preventable civil war.

In 2023, President Bola Tinubu renamed the University of Abuja in his honour—a fitting tribute to a man who, despite his flaws, kept Nigeria one.