Gowon Opens Up on Why North Linked Biafra Warlord Ojukwu to 1966 Coup
- Yakubu Gowon, a former head of state, has revealed that northern military officers' suspicions of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu during the 1966 coup and its aftermath
- Gowon unveiled his memoir, providing clarity on his administration's decisions during the sensitive Nigerian Civil War
- Gowon recounted tensions with young Olusegun Obasanjo over military hierarchy during the country's military era
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - Former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon (retd.) has revealed that northern military officers believed now-late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was complicit in the January 1966 coup d’etat and wanted to move against him.
Gowon, who ruled Nigeria from July 1966 to July 1975, presented his memoir, ‘My Life of Duty and Allegiance’, in Abuja today, Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Source: Facebook
Legit.ng recalls that in the January 1966 coup executed by officers mostly of Igbo origin, key northern leaders and military officers were killed.
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the prime minister; Ahmadu Bello, premier of the Northern region; Ladoke Akintola, premier of the Western region, who was their political ally; and Festus Okotie-Eboh, minister of finance, were all assassinated.
Zakariya Maimalari, a brigadier and the most senior military officer from the north, was also killed alongside many other northerners in the military.
The coup failed, and Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, a major general and the army chief, became the head of state.
Gowon explains leadership crisis
The echoes from the failed coup led to the counter coup of July 1966, in which Aguiyi-Ironsi was killed.
Gowon, then a lieutenant colonel and army chief, was made the head of state after the countercoup led by northern officers.
Ojukwu, a colonel who was then the governor of the now defunct Eastern region, refused to accept Gowon’s leadership, insisting that the most senior army officer, Babafemi Ogundipe, a brigadier, should have been appointed to the position.
Gowon was a lieutenant colonel, two ranks below Ogundipe, when he assumed office as head of state.
Joseph Wey, a commodore, and Adeyinka Adebayo, a colonel, were also senior to Gowon, and he was promoted to major-general and later full-star general within one year.
Gowon wrote in his memoir, according to The Cable:
“The case of Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe was, however, not as straightforward because the course of the coup had made it obvious that he could no longer function effectively in the command-and-control structure of the Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces. With the concurrence of the UK government, he was appointed Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK."
He added:
“Ojukwu refused my offer of friendship. By extension, he wilfully refused to recognise my leadership. He felt that the ‘normal’ protocol of seniority in service should have been upheld in selecting General Ironsi’s successor under the new administration, regardless of the circumstances by which I assumed power. Admiral Wey effectively persuaded former Supreme Military Council members to take cognisance of the situation and support my leadership, highlighting my ability to command respect from junior officers and my willingness to lead during a difficult time.”
How Ojukwu rejected Gowon’s leadership
Gowon did not believe Ojukwu was supporting Ogundipe or defending the army hierarchy for altruistic reasons.
He wrote:
“Left unsaid at the time was Ojukwu’s strong view that I was junior to him in the hierarchy. He failed to appreciate that he had been under serious threat because the young Northern officers believed he was complicit in the January 15, 1966 coup. I pre-empted any attempt to move against him, in part, because of my respect for all the Regional Governors and, more importantly, because I saw him primarily as a colleague and officer with whom I thought I had worked to restore normalcy in those early days of uncertainty. I believed that, together, we could rebuild the army and allow the country to continue its course in history.”
Despite his reservations, he went ahead and retained Ojukwu as the governor of the east.
Gowon wrote:
“My decision to retain Ojukwu in office was altogether altruistic, though subsequent events made it seem a huge mistake. But with the situation at hand, it did not matter whether he agreed or not with the fact that change had occurred. Even if he did not agree with my new role, the soldier in him never said he would leave the Army. I let him be."
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Ojukwu subsequently declared the secession of Biafra in May 1967 over the reprisal killing of Igbos in the north after the January 1966 putsch.
This led to a bloody 30-month civil war which came to an end in January 1970 with the surrender of Biafra.
'Obasanjo defied my orders' - Gowon
Furthermore, Gowon revealed that a young Olusegun Obasanjo flatly refused to serve under Colonel Murtala Muhammed during the civil war, declaring he would “never” take orders from his junior.
Gowon said he resolved the confrontation by invoking his authority as commander-in-chief and forcing Obasanjo to stand down, before going on to serve as Obasanjo’s personal “guardian angel” through the war and beyond.
Per The Punch, the revelations are contained in Chapter 14 of Gowon’s 859-page autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, titled 'No Going Back'.
Source: Getty Images
Gowon wrote:
“He believed he was more senior and should not be expected to serve under his junior. His reaction made it obvious that he was not well disposed to any idea that appeared to present him as playing second fiddle to Murtala.
“As a result, he strongly stated that he would never serve under Colonel Murtala Muhammed for any reason."
But the commander-in-chief held firm.
“I stood my ground that, as commander-in-chief, I reserved the right to send people to where I believe they could be most useful to the country at any material time.
“I told him his main task was not to be Murtala’s deputy but to ensure the general security of the Western Region. He relented and took on the role assigned to him.”
Tinubu praises Gowon's memoir
For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he described Gowon's autobiography as an important national document that offers guidance for Nigeria’s future, regional cooperation and the preservation of national unity.
The Nigerian leader particularly called for the wide circulation of the memoir across the country, noting that it is a civic inheritance for all Nigerians.
Speaking on Tuesday, May 19, during the public presentation of the memoir at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, the president, who was represented by his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the reflections of leaders who witnessed defining moments in the nation’s history remain essential to strengthening democratic stability and national cohesion.
President Tinubu said Nigeria must preserve its historical memory to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, stressing that societies that fail to learn from their history risk drifting into division and uncertainty.
He said:
“A nation that misplaces its memory soon begins to quarrel with its own reflection. A society without memory becomes an orphan in time."
President Tinubu observed that the former Head of State’s account was arriving at a time when Nigeria and the wider West African region continue to grapple with insecurity, economic pressures and social fragmentation, making the lessons of reconciliation and statesmanship even more relevant.
The Nigerian leader praised Gowon’s post-civil war reconciliation efforts, particularly the declaration of “No victor, no vanquished,” describing it as one of the defining principles that helped preserve Nigeria’s unity after the civil war. He said peace and national healing require deliberate policies built on trust, inclusion and shared citizenship.
Tinubu said:
“The decisions of that period cannot be understood by those who examine them with the arrogance of comfort. Every generation that inherits peace must learn to speak gently about the choices made in the season of peril."
The president added that national unity must be sustained through institutions and policies that encourage interaction, fairness and mutual understanding among citizens. He highlighted the role of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as one of the enduring legacies of Gowon’s administration, saying the programme has helped bridge ethnic, cultural and religious divides across generations.
According to him, shared national experiences remain vital to building a stronger federation and deepening trust among Nigerians.
President Tinubu also said Gowon’s life stands as a rebuke to divisive narratives that attempt to reduce Nigeria’s diversity into rigid regional or religious stereotypes.
The president said:
“His story teaches us that the Nigerian project becomes stronger when a citizen refuses to become a weapon in the hands of sectarian entrepreneurs."
On regional affairs, Tinubu applauded General Gowon’s role in the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), describing the regional body as one of the continent’s most important platforms for economic cooperation and collective security.
He said the founding vision behind ECOWAS remains critical as West Africa confronts terrorism, political instability and economic disruption.
He said:
“We need cooperation against insecurity. We need trade that empowers our young people. We need diplomacy that prevents conflict from becoming contagion."
Tinubu maintained that Nigeria’s prosperity and security are closely tied to the stability and development of neighbouring countries.
The president stated that Gowon’s influence extends beyond his years in office, describing him as a statesman whose commitment to peace, unity and national service has endured across generations.
Source: Legit.ng
