NIGERIAN HISTORY 101 Did you know? Brigadier General Babafemi Ogundipe Born: September 6, 1924 in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State Died in London: November 1971 He was the Chief of Staff, Supreme headquarters, Nigerian Defence Forces (He was the First Nigerian Vice President during the regime of Major General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi who ruled Nigeria from January 16, 1966 – July 29, 1966. He was criticized in some quarters for his refusal to take the mantle of office of his supreme commander, who had been murdered in the July 1966 coup, and that this aggravated the pogroms that eventually followed. He was the most senior military officer after the death of Ironsi, and the thinking was that he ought to have taken power himself. The fact is that this was not a viable thing for him to have done. He had no troops, and he was unable to rely on the few individuals available to him, many of whom were northern and were unwilling to take orders from a Christian southerner. Furthermore, he was basically a soldier and had no personal political ambitions.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 15:58:51 +0000
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