Obasanjo Reflects on 1976 Coup
...Says everybody thought it would end Nigeria
Former President, Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo today reflected on the 1976 coup, saying
Nigerians thought the 1979 coup would end Nigeria's existence.
Obasanjo explained
that the misconception stemmed from the fact that most of those
involved in the coup were Christians and for killing the Head of State,
who was a Muslim, it was seen as a bad signal for Nigeria.
The former
president who was a host in the cast and crew of the yet-to-be released
film, "1976" ('76) at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library,
Abeokuta, said there were misconceptions on the coup, which upturned the
political situation at the that time.
According to
Obasanjo, the killing of a Muslim on a Friday by a gang thought to be
Christians, particularly, when we remembered the first coup, which
upturned the political situation in the country gave a bad signal. What will
amount to; where will it lead us and where will it lead us out? These
were what Nigerians had in mind."
While describing
the film which abridged parts were shown as 'a mixture of sweet and
sorrow', Obasanjo commended the team for the production.
He said: "It will make us to remember ourselves not to go back to the dark days, which put us in go-no-go situation."
"We can
have more of this, as there are more national issues that can be portrayed.
We are capable of the best and that is what this film has shown that.
However, the executive producer of the film, Prince Tonye Princewill, said the cast and crew of
'1976' was on tour of the country to seek support and endorsement for
the film, billed to premier in November.
"The youth of
today need to have sense of the past, hence the resolve to have the film
1976, which is simply called '76'," he said.
Princewill said
the visit to Obasanjo was important, "considering his position at that
time in the country. We deem it fit to come and show him the film and
curry his endorsement, which as you can see we had gotten."
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