Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has described the 1960s as one of the most turbulent periods in Nigeria’s history, saying the country experienced widespread political instability, violent leadership changes and deep national trauma.
Speaking during an interview on The Morayo Show, Iyabo reflected on the impact of the military coups and counter-coups that followed Nigeria’s independence, noting that the violence left many families devastated.
“Nigeria, in terms of the kind of chaos and violence in leadership, the 1960s were the worst,” she said.
According to her, the repeated overthrow of governments and assassinations of political and military leaders created lasting emotional and social scars across the country.
“We had waves and waves of the leadership of the military killed constantly,” she said.
Iyabo explained that beyond the political consequences, the instability had a devastating effect on families, particularly children who lost one or both parents during the period.
“If you look at what that created in the society, in terms of the children left behind, some people had both parents, but in some coups and counter-coups, both parents were killed,” she said.
She added that the violence experienced during the era left many Nigerians with emotional wounds that have endured for decades.
“There was just so much trauma,” she said.
