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The Rising Sun, a civil rights advocacy group, has accused former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), of distorting historical facts surrounding the collapse of the 1967 Aburi Accord—an event they claim directly triggered the Nigerian Civil War.
In a strongly-worded statement released on Sunday in Abuja, the group alleged that Gowon‘s recent comments on the issue misrepresent the truth and attempt to whitewash historical realities.
The Aburi Accord, held between January 4 and 5, 1967, in Aburi, Ghana, was convened as a last-ditch peace effort to prevent Nigeria from plunging into civil war. This followed a period of intense national upheaval, including the January 1966 military coup, the counter-coup in July, and the brutal massacres of Eastern Nigerians in the North.
The meeting resulted in a series of agreements aimed at preserving the country through a decentralized federal system, regional autonomy, and shared control of the armed forces. These decisions were recorded both in writing and on tape.
In the statement co-signed by Chief Maxwell Dede, President of the Rising Sun, and Rev. Fr. Augustine Odimmegwa, the group’s Secretary, they condemned Gowon’s assertion that the Accord collapsed because Eastern Region leader, General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, insisted that regional governors control the military. They described this claim as misleading and historically inaccurate.
According to the group, the demand for regional control over security forces was not an act of rebellion, but a legitimate request for justice and the practical implementation of federalism.
Drawing comparisons with the United States, they pointed out that U.S. state governors exercise authority over their National Guards. “Is it treasonous in a federal system for regional leaders to demand control over the security forces operating within their territories?” they asked.
The Rising Sun contends that had the Nigerian government implemented the Aburi agreements in full, the civil war, the subsequent genocide, the weaponization of famine, and the indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas could have been avoided.
“If Nigeria had honoured the Aburi Accord in its entirety, there would have been no war, no genocide, no famine used as a weapon, and no carpet-bombing of villages,” the statement read.
The group further alleged that Gowon’s refusal to uphold the Accord was the result of external and internal pressures, particularly from the British High Commission and the Northern elite.
They claimed these forces opposed regional autonomy in order to maintain a centralized government that served colonial-era economic interests, especially those of multinational oil companies like Shell BP.
“Britain was never in favour of a federation of autonomous regions. What it preferred was a united, centrally-controlled Nigeria dominated by the Fulani elite,” the statement added.
They also emphasized that Ojukwu’s position at the Aburi meeting was not a call for secession, but a plea for safety, autonomy, and genuine self-governance for all regions of Nigeria. “Ojukwu stood on the side of justice. History has already given its verdict—and it does not favour those who betrayed the Accord,” they declared.
Millions of Nigerians, the group lamented, are still grappling with the consequences of that betrayal. From enduring insecurity and economic instability to living under a “unitary system disguised as federalism,” they believe the legacy of the Accord’s failure remains deeply felt.
The Rising Sun concluded by urging historians, researchers, and advocates of justice to revisit the original Aburi documents and recordings—many of which they claim remain accessible to the public—to uncover what they described as historical misrepresentations.
“We call on all truth-seeking scholars to revisit the original tapes and documents of the Aburi Accord and expose the lies being spread,” the statement urged.
This intervention by the Rising Sun comes amid renewed national conversations about Nigeria’s federal structure, with growing calls for restructuring to ensure regional equity, justice, and true federalism.