A U.S.-based advocacy group, Rising Sun, has criticized former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), over his recent comments on the reasons behind the collapse of the historic Aburi Accord of 1967.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

A U.S.-based advocacy group, Rising Sun, has strongly criticized former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), over his recent remarks on the collapse of the historic Aburi Accord of 1967, accusing him of distorting the facts.

In a statement released Sunday in Abuja, jointly signed by the group’s President, Chief Maxwell Dede, and Secretary, Rev. Fr. Augustine Odimmegwa, the group described Gowon’s claims as a misrepresentation of history aimed at absolving himself of responsibility.

The group faulted Gowon’s assertion that the accord failed due to General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s insistence that regional governors control the military. According to Rising Sun, the demand for regional control of security forces was grounded in principles of justice, fairness, and true federalism.

“If Nigeria had honored the Aburi Accord in its original form, there would have been no civil war, no genocide, no starvation used as a war tactic, and no indiscriminate bombing of villages,” the statement read.

The Aburi meeting, held in Ghana from January 4 to 5, 1967, was a final attempt to rescue Nigeria from deepening instability following the 1966 coups and the massacre of Easterners in the North. The resolutions, recorded in writing and audio, endorsed regional autonomy, a decentralized federation, joint control of the military, and consensus-based appointments to the Nigerian Military Council.

“These were not Ojukwu’s demands—they were collective agreements by all military leaders present. Gowon’s eventual rejection of the accord was not about disagreements with its content but due to pressure from the British High Commission and Northern elites who feared the return to a decentralized First Republic,” the group said.

Rising Sun also questioned Gowon’s understanding of federalism, citing the U.S. model where governors control their National Guards. The group argued that Ojukwu’s position was one of rationality and fairness, while it was Gowon’s reversal that pushed the nation into war.

“By admitting the disagreement was about military control—not secession or oil—Gowon has inadvertently vindicated Ojukwu and the Biafran cause,” the statement continued. “Biafra sought autonomy and safety, not war.”

The group went further to allege British interference, blaming the UK for encouraging Gowon to abandon the agreement to preserve Western economic interests, especially those of Shell BP.

They noted that Nigeria is still suffering from the consequences of the accord’s betrayal, including insecurity, economic dysfunction, and the erosion of federal principles in what has become a unitary system disguised as a federation.

The group warned that Gowon’s version of events was a dangerous revision of history aimed at whitewashing tyranny and genocide.

“We urge scholars, historians, and all who care for truth to revisit the original tapes and documents of the Aburi Accord, many of which are publicly available, to expose these inaccuracies,” the statement said. “Rising Sun remains committed to resisting historical revisionism. Ojukwu stood on the side of justice. History has already passed its judgment—and it is not in Gowon’s favor.”