Why did Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi’s plan for a unitary government face opposition?

Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi assumed power following a military coup in January 1966, during which Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and other regional leaders were murdered.12

His subsequent plan to abolish the existing regional structure and impose a unitary government faced intense opposition primarily because it was perceived as a move to consolidate power under the Igbo elite. Because the leaders of the January coup were accused of favoring Igbo interests, Aguiyi-Ironsi’s administrative changes exacerbated ethnic tensions, leading to anti-Igbo riots in the north. This political instability caused the military to split along ethnic lines, ultimately resulting in a countercoup in July 1966, the assassination of Aguiyi-Ironsi, and the rise of Yakubu Gowon.12