Civil War: Why Ojukwu refused to recognise Gowon as head of state – General Abdulsalami Abubakar

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has shed light on the origins of the rift between the former Governor of the Eastern Region, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, and the former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon.

The revelation is contained in Abubakar’s autobiography, Call of Duty, which was presented in Abuja during events marking his 84th birthday.

According to the book, Ojukwu insisted that military hierarchy should determine who succeeded Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi after his assassination by Northern military officers following the January 1966 coup led by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu.

Reflecting on the period, Abubakar said there were widespread grievances in the North over the killing of prominent Northern leaders during the coup, as well as complaints that Igbo officers were receiving preferential promotions within the military.

These concerns fuelled anti-Igbo sentiments across parts of Northern Nigeria, leading to protests in cities such as Kano, Kaduna and Jos. Riots followed, with many Igbos reportedly killed and their properties destroyed.

Abubakar recalled that senior Northern officers later overthrew and killed Aguiyi-Ironsi, after which Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon emerged as Head of State.

However, Ojukwu rejected Gowon’s emergence, arguing that Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe, then Chief of Staff at Supreme Headquarters, was next in line according to military protocol.

“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,” Abubakar wrote.

He noted that Ojukwu refused to pledge loyalty to Gowon, while ethnic tensions and violence continued across the country. As attacks against Igbos persisted in the North, many returned to the East, where retaliatory killings also occurred.

On May 30, 1967, Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra, arguing that Igbos were being victimised and that secession was the only viable solution.

Abubakar said all attempts to prevent the breakaway, including negotiations and the famous Aburi Accord, failed to produce a political settlement. Economic sanctions also proved ineffective, eventually leading to the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967.

According to him, Gowon remained committed to preserving Nigeria’s unity, famously declaring that “To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done.”

Abubakar expressed the view that the war could have been avoided if cooler heads had prevailed and efforts at reconciliation had been given more room.

“To this day, I believe that the Civil War, like most other conflicts in life, could have been prevented,” he said, adding that anger, retaliation and mistrust made peaceful resolution difficult.

He maintained that Nigeria was fortunate to survive the conflict and eventually reconcile, allowing many who felt marginalised to reintegrate into national life.

Abubakar also recounted what he described as one of the costliest mistakes made by federal troops during the war after the capture of Awka in present-day Anambra State.

Following the capture of Onitsha in February 1968, he said their commander, Colonel Murtala Muhammed, believed victory was imminent and ordered troops, vehicles and ammunition to advance in a large convoy.

The move proved to be a tactical error, as Biafran forces launched a surprise attack with rockets and bombs, setting vehicles ablaze and causing fuel tankers to explode.

“It was a most terrifying scene. Many soldiers died. I was lucky to escape,” Abubakar recalled.