Former Nigerian Head of State Yakubu Gowon has said his upcoming autobiography was written to clarify his decisions during his time in office, particularly the events surrounding the Nigerian Civil War, rather than to reopen historical tensions.
The memoir, which spans 881 pages, is scheduled for public presentation on May 19 at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expected to attend as special guest of honour.
Former Minister of Defence and ex-Chief of Army Staff, Theophilus Danjuma, is billed to formally unveil the book, which is expected to attract political leaders, diplomats, military veterans, and senior government officials.
Gowon explained that many existing accounts of his administration and the civil war were written from other perspectives, and his decision to publish was aimed at providing his personal account of key national decisions.
He emphasized that the intention of the autobiography is not to revive old controversies but to explain the reasoning behind policies taken during a critical period in Nigeria’s history.
According to him, the book reflects his personal convictions shaped by the difficult circumstances of leadership during a time of national crisis.
