Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has shared new details on the tension that grew between the former Eastern Region governor, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and the military head of state at the time, Yakubu Gowon, during the crisis that later led to the Nigerian Civil War.
This online medium reports that he made the account in his autobiography titled Call of Duty, which was launched in Abuja during his 84th birthday celebrations.
In the book, Abubakar traced how the chain of events after the 1966 coup and the killing of Major General Aguiyi-Ironsi led to deep division within the military and across the country.
He explained that after Ironsi was killed by Northern officers, Gowon was made head of state. However, Ojukwu refused to accept Gowon’s authority.
According to the account, Ojukwu believed that the proper successor should have been the most senior officer at the time, not Gowon, and that this disagreement created a major rift in the military leadership.
Abubakar also described how ethnic tension rose sharply during that period.
He noted that accusations of favoritism in military promotions and anger over the killing of Northern leaders led to unrest in parts of Northern Nigeria.
Violence followed, with attacks on Igbo people and destruction of property in several cities. This situation pushed many Igbo people to return to the Eastern Region for safety.
The former Head of State further recalled that Ojukwu, who was in charge of the Eastern Region, refused to pledge loyalty to Gowon as national leader.
He said this refusal deepened the crisis already affecting the country, while killings and reprisals continued in different regions.
He stated: “There were complaints about the reported hubris over the killing of the northern leaders. Igbos were being promoted above others in the military. Anti-Igbo sentiments exploded in the North. Riots broke out and Igbos were targeted and killed. Lt. Colonel Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu refused to recognise the new head of state. Ojukwu refused to pledge loyalty to Gowon.
“On 30 May 1967, Ojukwu announced that Igbos would leave Nigeria for good. He declared the Republic of Biafra. To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done. Civil War could have been prevented. We eventually went to war in 1967. It was a tactical miscalculation. Indeed, it was an error.”
