Coup saved Awolowo, my father’s lives – Adegbenro’s son

Chief  Niyi Adegbenro, 74, is the son of the late  Chief Dauda Soroye Adegbenro, Acting leader of the, defunct Action Group, (AG) and later the Premier of the defunct Western Region.
In this interview, he recalled events that led to the 1966 coup describing it as a critical turning point in Nigeria’s political history. Excerpts:
Unforgettable years of 1962 and 1966
It is my prayer that Nigeria will never witness this period again. This period was a turbulent one, which witnessed travails and malicious detention by hostile opponents.
The AG crisis of 1962, which brought my late father to the position of parliamentary leader and later Premier of the old Western Region was a catalyst for the January 15 coup. The state of emergency declared in the old Western Region by the Federal government of Alhaji Tafawa Balewa was a time bomb that later exploded across the country.
Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, Premier of the Western Region, with the then Commander, 2nd Brigade and his wife, Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun were killed. Sir Ahmadu Bello, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Chief Okotie Eboh, whose lifeless bodies were found at Ilepa, in today’s Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State were also killed.
Where were you on January 15, 1966?
I was with my father in Lagos, precisely at Lawrence Road, Ikoyi, where all the leaders of the then Action Group, about 12 of them, were assembled with an ulterior motive to kill them.
They were put in a place called Legiko Flat, where they were to have been killed on January 17, 1966, because of their alleged roles in what led to the declaration of State of Emergency  in the old Western Region. In a way, the January 15 coup was carried out to safe my father, Awolowo and others lives.
My father’s face off with Akintola was necessitated by what many political watchers at that time regarded as anti-party activities on the part of  Akintola. He left the convention of the Action Group in Jos to receive the visiting Prime Minister, Ahmadu Bello in Ibadan. Akintola’s fate was decided at the Palm Tree House, Oke-Bola, Ibadan, when the leader of the AG, Awolowo, insisted that he could no longer work with him.
My father was nominated and ratified as the successor to Akintola during the caucus meeting.  This development did not go down well with the government at the centre led by Balewa who appeared to have had soft sport for Akintola. He later declared state of emergency in the Western Region. This was the genesis of the first coup, a sad commentary in our political life.
How did your father receive the coup news?
He was surprised at the news through one of the coup plotters, Emmanuel Ifeajuna, who stormed my father’s detention camp in Lagos. It was after the organised deaths of Ahmadu Bello, Okotie Eboh and others. He told my father: “You are a free man today, we have completed our assignments.”
Although, the coup was condemnable, but I think what the young officers were thinking was to reshape Nigeria. But Aguiyi-Ironsi, who was the most senior military officer in Nigeria, to whom they handed over to messed up the whole thing.
How was your father treated?
He was not given any special treatment, except that he was visited by one of the coup plotters who informed him about the coup and ordered his freedom.
How has the family being fearing?
To an extent, we have reaped the fruits of our late father’s efforts, particularly his loyalty, steadfastness, commitment and dedication to duties.
Although he died in 1976, what he stood for has continued to be admired and appreciated by people with many of his children, who went into active politics being rewarded with political positions and appointments.

By Moshood Adebayo