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Senator Victor Umeh has called out former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, over his recent comments on the Nigerian Civil War, accusing the 91-year-old of distorting history and insulting the memory of millions who died in the conflict.
Umeh, who represents Anambra Central in the Senate, said Gowon owes Ndigbo a public apology for betraying the historic Aburi Accord and for his role in the war that nearly wiped out the Igbo population.
“I listened to Gowon’s interview and I felt sorry for him,” Umeh said during an interview in Awka. “At 91, maybe he has forgotten what happened, but some of us know the truth.”
He pointed to former President Ibrahim Babangida’s autobiography, where the 1966 coup was clarified as not being an “Igbo coup,” noting that both Yoruba and Northern officers were involved.
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“Gowon keeps pushing false narratives. He should write his own book instead of fabricating things on TV,” Umeh added.
Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon
Umeh accused Gowon of misleading Nigerians by claiming the war wasn’t targeted at the Igbo. He recalled working closely with Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, who confided in him that Gowon reneged on the Aburi agreement, an accord that could have prevented the war.
“Ojukwu told me that after the Aburi meeting, he offered to support Gowon’s leadership—if he implemented the deal. But when they returned, Gowon’s advisers told him to abandon it. That betrayal sparked the war,” Umeh said.
He also challenged Gowon to name any top military officers from his region who were killed in the 1966 counter-coup, stating it was clearly targeted at cleansing Igbo soldiers from the army.
“Gowon didn’t unite Nigeria. Today, his own people are being slaughtered and Nigeria is more divided than ever. He should tell the truth while he still can,” Umeh concluded.
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