{"id":74236,"date":"2022-06-02T15:41:19","date_gmt":"2022-06-02T14:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buzznigeria.com\/?p=74236"},"modified":"2024-02-01T11:51:03","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T10:51:03","slug":"who-was-the-first-military-president-in-nigeria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buzznigeria.com\/who-was-the-first-military-president-in-nigeria\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Was the First Military President in Nigeria?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first military president in Nigeria was Major-General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi who became the head of state on January 16, 1966, following a coup, and served for 194 days until the July Counter coup on July 29, 1966.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Out of the eight military presidents in Nigeria, also termed the military head of state, Aguiyi Ironsi served as the first. He was 42 years old when his tenure began after the coup that saw the death of the first and only Nigeria’s prime minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, among several others. He is mainly remembered for bringing to law the Unification Decree of Nigeria (Decree No. 34), which allowed absolute power to the center other than the regions.<\/p>\n

When did Military Rule Start in Nigeria, and How Long Did the First Military President in Nigeria Rule for?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The first military rule in Nigeria started with Major General Aguiyi-Ironsi on January 16, 1966, until July 29, 1966. The Abia State-native was recruited into the Nigeran Army as a young teenage boy in 1942.<\/p>\n

He started as a private in the seventh battalion before becoming a company sergeant major and gradually climbed different ranks till he became a major general. He continued his successful military career until he became the General Officer Commanding (GOC) – the highest rank in the army.<\/p>\n

He took the position from Major-General (Sir) Christopher Welbley Everard, the then senior British Army Officer, in 1965 to become the first Nigerian to be appointed into that office. Barely a year after his ascension to the office of GOC, an attack by the military was planned and executed on January 15, 1966.<\/p>\n

It targeted top government officials and top army officers, including the then Prime Minister of Nigeria, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. The bloodbath, led by Major Kaduna Nzeagwu and Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, was aimed to annihilate all corrupt leaders and looters, hence, the first military coup.<\/p>\n

On the coup day, top political leaders were attacked and killed, some with their families. As a matter of fact, Aguiyi Ironsi was among the few top political leaders to survive the attack. This was so because while the soldiers rampaged his house in search of him, he was nowhere to be found.<\/p>\n