IBB Reveals Shehu Yar’Adua’s Role in Yakubu Gowon’s 1975 Ouster

Former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, has revealed how the late Major-General Shehu Yar’Adua orchestrated the removal of General Yakubu Gowon as Nigeria’s Head of State in 1975.

Babangida shared this insight in his newly released book, A Journey in Service, which was launched in Abuja last Thursday.

Murtala’s Role and the Coup Plot

He explained that Brigadier Murtala Muhammed, who was seen as a "kingmaker" for installing Gowon in power, had a strained relationship with the administration at the time.

“As young officers, we could see that Muhammed, idolized by many of us in the army, was quite a handful in matters pertaining to control! However, when the final decision was made in early 1975 to remove the Gowon administration, the feeling was that another military regime would take over and prepare the country for civil rule,” Babangida wrote.

He disclosed that Musa Yar’Adua personally approached him, stating that a change in government was necessary to save the nation and preserve the military’s integrity.

Key Players in the 1975 Coup

Following their discussion, Yar’Adua recruited several officers to participate in the coup, including:

• Colonels Paul Tarfa and Alfred Aduloju
• Lt-Col. Muhammadu Buhari (then Director of Supply and Transport)
• Sani Bello and Sani Sami

However, some officers refused to be part of the plan, including:

• Brigadier Martin Adamu
• Colonel William Walbe (Gowon’s ADC)

After the coup, Shehu Yar’Adua later served as Chief of Staff at Supreme Headquarters under Olusegun Obasanjo’s military government.