Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd.), has said his forthcoming autobiography was written to provide clarity on key decisions taken during his administration, particularly during the Nigerian Civil War, and not to revive painful memories from the conflict.

In remarks released ahead of the public presentation of the book, Gowon explained that the memoir offers his personal perspective on events that have, over the years, largely been interpreted through the accounts of others.

The 881-page autobiography is scheduled to be unveiled on May 19 at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to attend the event as Special Guest of Honour, while former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), will formally unveil the book. The ceremony is also expected to attract political leaders, military veterans, diplomats, and senior government officials from across the country.

Gowon noted that the decision to write the autobiography became necessary because many historical accounts of the civil war era did not fully capture his reasoning and leadership decisions 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.

He stressed that the memoir was not intended to reopen divisions from the past but to provide insight into the challenges and circumstances that shaped government policies during one of the most difficult periods in Nigeria’s history.

“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,” Gowon stated.