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Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe, the mostly unseen ‘Vice President’ to Aguiyi-Ironsi

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Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe, the mostly unseen ‘Vice President’ to Aguiyi-Ironsi, refused to take the seat of power after his supreme leader was taken out in 1966.

Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi’s name rings a strong bell as a head of State in 1966, but many do not know that he had a close ally who was a Yoruba man. Brigadier Ogundipe, was Aguiyi-Ironsi’s Chief of Staff, but more closely, he was the defacto ‘Vice President’ in that administration that lasted only between January and July 1966.

Born on September 6, 1924 to Yoruba parents from Ago-Iwoye, in present-day Ogun State in western Nigeria, he joined the Royal West African Frontier Force in 1941, serving in Burma between 1942 and 1945.

He re-enlisted after the second World War, and rose to the rank of Brigadier in May 1964.

He survived the coup that led the Aguiyi-Ironsi’s demise and still served till August 1966. Following an agreement with the new military government led by Yakubu Gowon, Ogundipe travelled to the United Kingdom, where he attended the 1966 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting as Nigeria’s representative in September that year.

He later took up appointment as Nigeria’s High Commissioner in the United Kingdom, a post he held until August 1970, when he left public service.

While alive, he was criticized in some quarters for his refusal to take up the position of his supreme commander, who had been unalived in the August 1966 coup, with the critics saying this inaction on his part 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, but the fact is that this was not a viable thing for him to have done. It was certain that he would have been taken out too. He had no troops and was unable to rely on the few individuals available to him, many of whom were northerners and were unwilling to take orders from a Christian southerner.

Furthermore, he was basically a soldier and had no personal political ambitions. He understood that the preservation of Nigeria as one country meant that a southern Christian would be unable to hold the country together, and he took himself out of the power equation by accepting Yakubu Gowon, who was several years his junior, as the head of the new military government.

He passed away in London on November 20, 1971. Yesterday, September 6, was his posthumous birthday (101 years old since he was born).

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Genevieve Nnaji slams viral tweet urging Igbo men to marry non-Igbo women

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Nollywood icon Genevieve Nnaji has fired off a sharp response after a man on X (formerly Twitter) advised Igbo men to stop marrying Igbo women and instead seek wives from other African countries.

The controversy began after a photo of a Rwandan woman said to be engaged to an Anambra man went viral.

Resharing the image, the user wrote, “Dear Igbo men, instead of marrying an Igbo woman who’ll falsely accuse you of r4ping your daughter, better look outside for a wife.

“Go to East Africa, especially Rwanda, and pick a damsel. They’re all over social media, and you can link up with them.”

Genevieve, who rarely comments on online drama, responded, “In other words, instead of checking yourself and taking accountability, go for the unsuspecting and carry on with your evil. Got it.”

Another user attempted to challenge her, claiming the original tweet was aimed at “false rape accusers” and that Genevieve was avoiding the real issue.

“His tweet was clearly against false rape accusers, but instead of holding the evil women accountable and demanding change, you chose to tweet this?”

But the actress hit back with equal clarity: “The same way a woman can’t tell an abusive man apart from a good one is the same way you shouldn’t say avoid all Igbo women. ‘Not all women’.”

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Don’t handle your family feud like I did, Phyna advises Imisi

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Reality TV star Phyna has offered words of encouragement to fellow Big Brother Naija winner Imisi amid a family feud between the latter and her mother.

In an X post on Monday, Phyna wrote,”To Imisi, @imisiofficial and to anyone walking through the same fire… I’m praying for your strength.

“My own experience broke me, but I’m slowly rising.

“And I’m rooting for you with everything in me, don’t handle it like I did, build strong and focus on you baby girl.”

The post comes against the backdrop of a family dispute in which Imisi’s mother accused her daughter of hatred and revealed the poor condition of the home where she currently lives, despite Imisi winning N150 million after her Big Brother victory.

Imisi replied in Yoruba,”This is why Aunty Debola said you should not show your face to the world. I can’t be saying all that now, you are in the midst of people. Just overlook everything and leave social media.

“Don’t worry, I will send you money to rent a new house. I am tired of all this drama. I am still recovering from the stress of Big Brother.

“Should I be facing another stress now? Please forgive me, I am your daughter.”

Recall Imisi’s mother has publicly expressed frustration on social media, saying she does not need her daughter’s money after being sidelined following the win.

She also blamed Imisi for recounting her childhood experiences, which she claims involve untrue allegations of parental neglect and sexual assault.

In a video, she showed the old house she currently resides in, saying she is content with her situation, a revelation that sparked online controversy.

In 2023, after Phyna’s BBNaija win, her father, Felix Otabor, revealed in an interview that he was distressed by his daughter’s actions following her BBNaija win.

Otabor said Phyna had asked him to stop working as a hearse driver and requested that he sell his cars, promising to improve the family’s life.

He said he later struggled financially after selling the vehicles, losing his business momentum and community position, and has not seen his daughter since her victory.

He described feeling sidelined while she enjoyed her wealth.

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Ned Never Slept Outside Because I Held Him Well In The Other Room – Regina Daniels

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Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels, has opened up about her marriage to her estranged husband, Senator Ned Nwoko.

It was reports that the embattled wife revealed why their seven-year relationship remained faithful despite his polygamous lifestyle.

In a reply to a comment on her Instagram page, Daniels said that during their years together, Nwoko never slept with other women outside their home because she held him well in the other room.

She wrote: “Yes i think he loved me but a toxic one! Because tell me why a polygamous man forgot what it meant to be in polygamy, except for the media.

“Just because it boosted his ego of being seen with multiple women which is easy by me because anyone that sees a man as an odogwu sees the wife as what? He basically had to beg that he share days at ours and other days with his other wives because they begged for his attention.

“Y’all should pls forget this yeye social media comparison because my ex man never slept outside one day in our 7 years of marriage. You know why? Because as a delta babe, I hold am well for the other room ladies use your skills that’s all men want actually!”

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