Abdulsalami Reveals Why Ojukwu Rejected Gowon as Nigeria’s Leader

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), has shed fresh light on the events that led to the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War, revealing that late Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu refused to recognise General Yakubu Gowon as Nigeria’s Head of State because he believed military hierarchy had been disregarded following the assassination of Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi.

The revelation is contained in Abdulsalami’s autobiography, “Call of Duty,” which was unveiled in Abuja during activities marking his 84th birthday.

In the memoir, the former military leader provides a detailed account of the political tensions, ethnic divisions and military intrigues that plunged Nigeria into one of the darkest periods in its history.

According to Abdulsalami, the roots of the crisis can be traced to the January 15, 1966 coup, led by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu and other young military officers. The coup resulted in the deaths of several prominent political and military leaders, including Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Northern Premier Sir Ahmadu Bello, and Western Region Premier Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola.

He explained that the killings created widespread resentment in Northern Nigeria, where many perceived the coup as being targeted against northern political leaders.

“There were complaints about the reported hubris over the killing of the northern leaders. Some Northern officers also complained that Igbos were being promoted above others in the military,” Abdulsalami wrote.

The situation rapidly deteriorated as anti-Igbo sentiments spread across parts of Northern Nigeria. Violent riots broke out in cities such as Kano, Kaduna and Jos, leading to the deaths of many Igbos and the destruction of homes and businesses belonging to easterners.

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The unrest eventually culminated in the July 1966 counter-coup, during which Head of State Aguiyi-Ironsi was overthrown and killed by northern military officers.

Following Ironsi’s death, Yakubu Gowon emerged as Nigeria’s new military leader. However, Abdulsalami said Ojukwu strongly opposed Gowon’s emergence, insisting that military tradition and hierarchy had not been followed.

According to him, Ojukwu maintained that Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe, who was then the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters and the most senior military officer after Ironsi, should have succeeded the slain Head of State.

“Lt. Colonel Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Governor of the Eastern Region, refused to recognise the new Head of State, insisting that in the absence or death of Aguiyi-Ironsi, the next in command was Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe,” Abdulsalami stated.

The disagreement deepened political tensions between the Federal Military Government and the Eastern Region, with Ojukwu refusing to pledge loyalty to Gowon’s administration.

As the crisis worsened, thousands of Igbos fled Northern Nigeria and returned to the East amid fears for their safety. Retaliatory attacks were also reported in parts of Eastern Nigeria, further escalating ethnic divisions.

Abdulsalami noted that several attempts were made to resolve the crisis through dialogue. One of the most significant efforts was the Aburi Accord, held in Ghana in January 1967, where regional leaders sought a political solution to the growing conflict.

However, disagreements over the interpretation and implementation of the agreement ultimately derailed the peace process.

With negotiations failing and political tensions reaching a boiling point, Ojukwu declared the secession of the Eastern Region on May 30, 1967, creating the Republic of Biafra.

“On 30 May 1967, Ojukwu announced that Igbos would leave Nigeria for good to form their own country. He felt they were being victimised and marginalised in Nigeria and that the only solution was to secede,” Abdulsalami recalled.

The declaration triggered the Nigerian Civil War, which lasted from July 1967 to January 1970 and remains one of the deadliest conflicts in Africa’s post-colonial history.

Reflecting on the war decades later, Abdulsalami expressed the belief that the conflict could have been avoided.

“To this day, I believe that the Civil War, like most other conflicts in life, could have been prevented,” he wrote.

“I feel that rising tempers, anger and the cycle of retaliations didn’t leave room for understanding and reconciliation.”

The former military ruler said Nigeria was fortunate to survive the conflict and eventually reconcile as one nation, stressing the importance of learning from the painful lessons of the war.

Abdulsalami also recounted one of the most traumatic experiences of his military career during the conflict. He described the battle for Awka and Onitsha as among the fiercest encounters of the war, revealing that federal troops suffered heavy casualties following a tactical miscalculation after capturing Onitsha in February 1968.

According to him, commanders believed victory was near and moved troops, vehicles and ammunition in a manner that exposed them to a devastating Biafran counterattack involving rocket fire and bombardment.

“Our vehicles caught fire. The tankers supplying us with fuel for our operational vehicles also exploded. It was a most terrifying scene. Many soldiers died. I was lucky to escape,” he wrote.

The memoir offers a rare insider perspective on the events that shaped the Nigerian Civil War, the tensions between Ojukwu and Gowon, and the decisions that ultimately altered the course of Nigeria’s history.

Abdulsalami Reveals Why Ojukwu Rejected Gowon as Nigeria’s Leader