General Yakubu Gowon has revealed that the collapse of the Aburi Accord was caused by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s insistence on regional military control, a condition the federal government refused to accept. Gowon made this statement during an interview aired on Arise TV on Wednesday, stating that the Eastern region’s leader wanted governors to command military zones in their regions, a position the federal side considered unacceptable.
Aburi Accord Collapsed at 1967 Peace Talks
Gowon explained that although the Aburi meeting in Ghana was conducted in a spirit of peace, Ojukwu later interpreted the agreement as a step toward regional autonomy with full control over security.
“He wanted those zones to be commanded by the governor,” Gowon said. “And of course, we did not agree with that one.”
The former Head of State said that the meeting was not meant to restructure Nigeria’s military constitutionally but to restore national peace. He noted that Ojukwu’s interpretation differed from the federal delegation’s expectations. “We just went there… to agree and resolve a problem. That was my understanding. But that is not his understanding,” he said.
Ojukwu Refusal to Attend Benin Meeting
After the summit, Gowon said he was ill and unable to immediately respond to the public statements Ojukwu made about the agreement. He claimed this delay created misunderstanding and unilateral announcements. “Unfortunately… I was having a serious attack of a kind of fever… and I could not make a decision,” he said.
To salvage the situation, the federal government convened a meeting in Benin with all regional governors. Gowon said Ojukwu was invited but refused to attend, further deepening the crisis. “And he did not turn up,” he added. Gowon insists that if Ojukwu had attended, the conflict might have been avoided.
Ojukwu’s Demand for Regional Military Control Collapsed Aburi Accord and Sparked Civil War
Gowon stressed that while the government was open to implementing the Aburi Accord in principle, ceding military authority to regional governors was never on the table. “The only thing that I added was that no region… can secede from the country,” he stated.
The Aburi Accord, which was the last peaceful attempt to avoid civil war, collapsed shortly after, leading to the Nigerian Civil War in July 1967. Gowon’s recent comments now provide clarity on what he describes as a deal-breaker: Ojukwu’s demand for regional military control.
