According to our reporter, Chief Ralph Obioha, veteran NADECO leader, has boldly dismissed the decades-old claim that the January 15, 1966 coup was an “Igbo coup.”
Speaking on January 20, 2026, he revealed the narrative was a deliberate smear to undermine the Igbo people. A revealing report on how ethnic myths shape Nigerian politics has been published on NewsVista.
Obioha explained that officers from multiple ethnicities—Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa—were involved, and the high Igbo military presence was purely numerical, not conspiratorial. He described the coup as driven by restless young officers wanting political change, not ethnic agendas.
Despite enduring decades of stigma, Obioha highlighted the Igbo’s resilience and ongoing vital contributions to Nigeria’s progress. He warned that false labels like “Igbo coup” continue to fuel divisions but cannot cage the spirit or destiny of the Igbo people.
“Those misconceptions won’t define us,” he said firmly, sparking fresh debate across Nigeria.