The immediate cause of the 1966 military coup de’etat in Nigeria was?

A. nepotism
B. political instability
C. military ambition
D. corruption

Correct Answer:

Option B – political instability

Explanation

The immediate cause of the 1966 military coup de’etat in Nigeria was political instability. It should be noted that the Action Group Crises of 1962 was one of the crisis that led to the military take-over of government in January 1966. The 1962 Action Group crisis continued to rear its ugly head, until Western Nigeria election crisis of 1965. The disagreement over the election result between UPGA and NNA in Western region resulted to a crisis which led to a breakdown of law and order. This situation attracted military intervention on 15th January, 1966.