Yakubu Gowon, former Head of State, has said his forthcoming autobiography is intended to clarify key policy decisions taken during his administration, particularly throughout the Nigerian civil war, rather than to rekindle past divisions.
In remarks issued ahead of the book’s public presentation, Gowon explained that the memoir offers his personal account of events that have largely been interpreted by other actors and commentators over the years.
The 881-page publication is scheduled for unveiling on May 19 at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to attend as special guest of honour, while Theophilus Danjuma, former Minister of Defence and ex-Chief of Army Staff, will perform the formal unveiling.
The event is anticipated to attract a wide array of dignitaries, including political leaders, military veterans, diplomats, and senior government officials.
Gowon noted that the decision to document his experiences was driven by the need to present his own reasoning as Nigeria’s leader during a defining period in the country’s history.
“The autobiography became necessary because many accounts of the civil war era had been written from different perspectives over the years without fully reflecting my own reasoning as Nigeria’s leader at the time,” he said.
He emphasised that the work was not conceived as an attempt to revisit old conflicts, but rather to provide clarity on the policies and decisions made under complex and often challenging circumstances.
“By choosing to write, I took a conscious decision not to reopen old wounds but to clarify my thinking on policies and plans at a period often narrated by others.
“My story is one of conviction evaluated by circumstances at the crossroads of expectations and reality,” Gowon added.
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