Gowon finally reveals why the Aburi Accord failed. Find out what really happened. Read full now.
Former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has made startling revelations about the real reasons behind the collapse of the 1967 Aburi Accord, a failed peace deal that ultimately led to Nigeria’s bloody civil war.
In a recent interview on Arise Television, the former military ruler disclosed that the peace accord collapsed due to irreconcilable demands from the then Eastern Region’s Military Governor, Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, who insisted that regional military zones should be under the control of regional governors—a condition Gowon said was unacceptable and against the spirit of military hierarchy.
“For example, to give one of the major issues, we said that the military would be zoned, but he (Ojukwu) wanted those zones to be commanded by the governors. That was not acceptable,” Gowon stated.
Gowon explained that the Aburi meeting, which was held between January 4 and 5, 1967, in Aburi, Ghana, was meant to foster unity and resolve the growing political crisis in Nigeria. But upon return, he said he fell seriously ill and was unable to act immediately. In that interval, Ojukwu, according to him, made unilateral pronouncements regarding the accord—statements that did not reflect the collective understanding reached in Ghana.
“We just went there to meet as officers and agreed to return and resolve the issues at home. That was my understanding. But that was not his,” Gowon said.
He further alleged that Ojukwu’s version of the agreement was drawn from a personal script, not from what was collectively discussed and agreed upon during the peace talks.
Efforts to resolve the growing tension following the confusion were made, Gowon said, including a proposed follow-up meeting in Benin City, which Ojukwu declined to attend, citing security concerns.
“I don’t know what accord Ojukwu was reading. He came with prepared papers, we discussed them point by point—agreed on some, disagreed on others,” Gowon said.
The breakdown of the Aburi Accord directly preceded the Nigerian Civil War, which lasted from July 6, 1967 to January 15, 1970, leading to the death of over a million people, mostly from the Eastern Region.
Ojukwu, a central figure in the Biafran movement, died on November 26, 2011, at the age of 78. The latest revelation by Gowon reopens a controversial chapter in Nigeria’s post-independence history and adds a fresh layer to the decades-long debate over the authenticity and interpretation of the Aburi Accord.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with unresolved questions of national unity, federalism, and decentralization, Gowon’s statements are likely to reignite political and historical debates across the country.
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