Aburi Accord failed because of Ojukwu, says Gowon

Former Head of State Yakubu Gowon has blamed late Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu for the collapse of peace efforts before the Nigerian Civil War, saying every attempt to avoid conflict was frustrated.

In his autobiography, My Life of Service and Allegiance, Gowon revisited the events leading to the 1967–1970 war, including the controversial Aburi Accord negotiations held in Ghana.

“Ojukwu deliberately and effectively thwarted every effort we made to amicably resolve our national issues,” Gowon wrote.

The former military ruler said the Federal Military Government pursued dialogue after the killings of Igbos in Northern Nigeria triggered fear and outrage across the Eastern Region.

According to him, the January 1967 Aburi meeting was organised with sincere hopes of preventing Nigeria’s breakup.

“We went to Aburi with open minds and with the sincere hope of finding a basis for national reconciliation,” he stated.

The talks, mediated by former Ghanaian leader Joseph Arthur Ankrah, brought together senior military officers as Nigeria struggled with the aftermath of coups, ethnic violence and rising mistrust.

Gowon, however, claimed that Ojukwu later presented a version of the Aburi Accord that differed from what had actually been discussed.

“What was presented by Ojukwu as the Aburi Accord was, in reality, his own interpretation of our discussions,” he wrote.

He argued that accepting Ojukwu’s demands would have severely weakened the Federal Government and accelerated Nigeria’s disintegration.

“At every stage, we tried to preserve Nigeria without resorting to war,” Gowon added.

The former Head of State said communication between both sides steadily worsened before Biafra’s declaration of independence on May 30, 1967.

“We were confronted with a situation in which compromise was becoming almost impossible,” he wrote.

Gowon also addressed the anti-Igbo violence that followed the 1966 coups, acknowledging the fear experienced by Easterners living outside their region.

“I understood the fears of the Easterners. But the breakup of Nigeria was never an option I could accept,” he said.

He defended the creation of 12 states before the outbreak of war, arguing that minority ethnic groups in the Eastern Region demanded greater political recognition and protection.

“The creation of states was intended to give all groups a sense of belonging within Nigeria,” Gowon wrote.

Rejecting suggestions that the Federal Government wanted war, Gowon insisted military confrontation only became inevitable after Biafra’s secession.

“Ojukwu’s declaration of Biafra left the federal government with no choice,” he stated.

The former ruler also defended the post-war “No Victor, No Vanquished” reconciliation policy introduced after the conflict ended in January 1970.

“We had to think about the future of the country beyond the bitterness of war,” Gowon wrote, adding: “We fought to keep Nigeria one, not to destroy a people.”

Africans Angle News