Yakubu Gowon says his long-awaited autobiography was written to set the record straight on key decisions taken during his administration, particularly during the Nigerian Civil War, and not to reopen old wounds.
In remarks released ahead of the book’s public presentation, Gowon said the memoir provides his personal account of events that, over the years, have largely been told from the perspectives of others. The 881-page autobiography is scheduled to be unveiled on May 19 at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to attend the event as special guest of honour, while retired General Theophilus Danjuma will formally unveil the book. The event is expected to draw political leaders, military veterans, diplomats, and senior government officials from across the country.
According to Gowon, the autobiography became necessary because many accounts of the civil war era did not fully reflect his reasoning as Nigeria’s leader at the time.
“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.
“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, shaped by circumstances at the crossroads of expectations and reality.”
