In July 1966, the military ruler Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi was deposed and killed in the so-called Nigerian counter-coup of 1966 led by Lieutenant Colonel Murtala Mohammed.

[13] Ejoor was able to escape to Lagos while Ogbemudia briefly went underground organizing a resistance movement composed of people disaffected by the invasion.

[13] He later left for Army Headquarters, Lagos and joined the Murtala Mohammed led Second Infantry Division on a counterattacking mission to Midwest.

[15] A populist, dedicated to reconstruction after the war, he initiated improvements in the areas of sports, urban development, education, public transportation, housing and commerce.

[21] In July 1975, when Murtala Mohammed became head of state, he retired the twelve military governors who had served under Yakubu Gowon.

Among these was Samuel Ogbemudia, whom Murtala, then leader of the Mid-west invasion had unilaterally appointed eight years earlier, and whom he replaced with Colonel George Agbazika Innih.

However, he lost his position in December that year when Muhammadu Buhari became military ruler after a coup d'état that overthrew civilian President Shehu Shagari.

[23] General Sani Abacha, military head of state from November 1993, until his death in June, 1998, appointed Ogbemudia as minister for Labor and Productivity.

[27] Ogbemudia and Chief Anthony Anenih controlled PDP politics in Edo State for the next decade, at first working well together but later coming into open conflict.

[31] On 20 March 2008, a tribunal nullified the election of Oserheimen Osunbor (PDP) as Edo State governor due to voting irregularities, and declared comrade Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress as the winner.

[33] In July 2009, Ogbemudia was leader of a PDP faction that was supporting Prof. Julius Ihonvbere as candidate for the Edo State governorship in 2011.

[34] In October 2009, Ogbemudia failed to attend the unity rally of the party in Edo state organised by Anthony Anenih.

[35] A month later, Ogbemudia praised Oshiomhole's accomplishments in his first year of office, leading to speculations of a possible political alliance between the two men.