Former Nigerian head of state Yakubu Gowon says his long-awaited autobiography was written to provide clarity on major decisions taken during his administration, particularly during the Nigerian civil war, and not to revive painful memories from the past.
Speaking ahead of the public presentation of the book, Gowon explained that the memoir offers his personal account of events that have largely been narrated by others over the years.
The 881-page autobiography is scheduled to be unveiled on May 19 at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to attend the event as the special guest of honour, while former minister of defence and ex-chief of army staff, Theophilus Danjuma, will officially unveil the book.
The event is expected to attract political leaders, former military officers, diplomats and top government officials.
“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,” Gowon 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 evaluated by circumstances at the crossroads of expectations and reality.”