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• Urges nationwide circulation to safeguard unity
• How Tinubu wore Borno garb for one week to disprove ‘fetish’ claims against me – Shettima
• “No victor, no vanquished” declaration helped to create basis for national healing – Jonathan
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday described the autobiography of former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd) as “a compass for Nigeria’s future”, urging that the memoir be widely circulated to preserve historical memory and strengthen national unity.
Speaking at the public presentation of the book at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, the president, who was represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, said accounts from leaders who lived through defining moments are essential to deepening democratic stability. “A nation that misplaces its memory soon begins to quarrel with its own reflection. A society without memory becomes an orphan in time,” he said.
Tinubu told the gathering that Gowon’s reflections arrive at a critical juncture for Nigeria and West Africa, where insecurity, economic pressure and social fragmentation persist. He praised Gowon’s post-civil war reconciliatory stance, particularly the “No victor, no vanquished” declaration, as a principle that “helped preserve Nigeria’s unity after the civil war”.
“The decisions of that period cannot be understood by those who examine them with the arrogance of comfort. Every generation that inherits peace must learn to speak gently about the choices made in the season of peril,” the President said, urging policies built on trust, inclusion and shared citizenship.
Tinubu also highlighted enduring institutions from Gowon’s era, notably the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), saying the programme “has helped bridge ethnic, cultural and religious divides across generations”. He described Gowon’s life as “a rebuke to divisive narratives that attempt to reduce Nigeria’s diversity into rigid regional or religious stereotypes”, adding: “His story teaches us that the Nigerian project becomes stronger when a citizen refuses to become a weapon in the hands of sectarian entrepreneurs.”
On regional affairs, Tinubu commended Gowon’s role in establishing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), calling the regional bloc “one of the continent’s most important platforms for economic cooperation and collective security”. He appealed for renewed cooperation to confront terrorism, instability and economic disruption: “We need cooperation against insecurity. We need trade that empowers our young people. We need diplomacy that prevents conflict from becoming contagion.”
Speaking in his personal capacity, the Vice President recounted an episode that occurred a few months after President Tinubu took office, saying some visitors from Borno told the President to stop wearing traditional outfits Shettima had given him during the 2023 campaign, claiming that the garments had been used to charm Tinubu and would cause his death.
He said Tinubu dismissed the allegation and, in a deliberate show of defiance, wore the clothes for an entire week to rebut what the president regarded as a story that “did not add up”.
The Vice-President used the incident to highlight what he called a worrying rise in suspicion within Nigerian public life.
He linked the trend to an anecdote about Gowon that the Sultan of Sokoto shared: the Sultan’s family used to send gallons of fura each week to Dodan Barracks in Lagos for General Gowon, a gesture Gowon accepted without mistrust.
“He noted that Gowon accepted the gesture without any suspicion, in a spirit of trust that he said has since been eroded,” Shettima said, adding the problem now is different: “Suspicion smears our relationships, and it ought not to be. We are essentially one people tied to a common destiny.”
The vice president recounted his personal role in acquiring Tinubu’s outfit during the 2023 campaign to help him connect with the northern people during the pre-primary outreach.
The clash, Shettima said, happened after the election. He recalled travelling to Beijing in October 2023 to represent Tinubu at the 3rd Belt and Road Initiative Forum — one of his early foreign assignments as vice president. On his return, Tinubu called him in and relayed the visitors’ warning about the clothes.
“When I came back from China, where I had represented him at the Belt and Road Initiative Conference, he said: ‘Sit down. Your people came to me and said I should stop wearing those dresses you gave me. They said I must have been charmed and that I am going to die and he will become the president.’”
Shettima said Tinubu rejected the allegation because it “did not add up”.
According to Shettima, the president told him, “Their story did not add up, because when you gave me those dresses, I was an aspirant. I wasn’t even the candidate. Neither were you the vice-presidential candidate.”
Still, Shettima added, Tinubu chose to wear the outfits for a week to make a point.
“For one week, to prove to them that he is not a fetish, he wore those dresses. These are some of the gimmicks that are taking place in power circles in Nigeria nowadays.”
Gowon, on his part, explained that he wrote the memoir to tell his truth rather than settle scores. “My story and that of Nigeria became intertwined,” he told the audience, describing the book as his “modest attempt to document the opportunity I had to serve Nigeria”. He cautioned Nigerians ahead of the 2027 election against listening to “naysayers”, insisting that the nation “did not fail under my watch” and “will never fail despite the country’s challenges”.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan said Yakubu Gowon’s “No victor, no vanquished” declaration after the Nigerian civil war helped to create the basis for national healing across the country.
Jonathan made the remarks in Abuja on Tuesday at the public presentation of Gowon’s autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, where he lauded the former military head of state for his role in strengthening unity, promoting reconciliation and supporting youth development.
He described Gowon as a “living testimony” of leadership during one of Nigeria’s most consequential eras.
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According to Jonathan, the autobiography offers valuable lessons on nationhood, peace building, reconciliation and statesmanship, particularly in relation to the civil war period from 1967 to 1970.
“Today’s event is not merely the unveiling of a book. It is the presentation of a living testimony,” Jonathan said.
“It reflects a leader who stood at the centre of some of the defining moments in our national journey.”
He also praised Gowon for introducing policies that, in his view, helped reshape the country, including the creation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Jonathan said the NYSC was designed to promote unity among young Nigerians and reduce ethnic divisions across the country.
Drawing on his own experience, he recalled that NYSC teachers posted to his secondary school in 1973 played a major role in his education at a time when qualified teachers were scarce in many rural communities.
“The vision of the NYSC was great, and it will continue to remain great. The youth corps scheme was meant to unite our nation and help us live as one Nigeria,” he said.
Jonathan also acknowledged the contributions of Alex Ekwueme, noting that he worked with Gowon on reforms that influenced the direction of the country.
He stressed the need to preserve history through memoirs, saying younger Nigerians should hear directly from leaders who lived through pivotal moments in the nation’s past.
Jonathan said Gowon has remained committed to peacebuilding and national unity long after leaving office.
He added that the initiatives associated with the former military ruler show that true leadership goes beyond holding political office and should be reflected in service to humanity.
Describing the autobiography as timely, Jonathan said it comes at a period when many countries are struggling with insecurity, division and political polarisation.
He urged present-day leaders and young Nigerians to draw lessons from the book’s themes of courage, vision, reconciliation and patriotism.
Jonathan also commended Gowon for documenting his experiences for future generations and preserving an important part of Nigeria’s historical record.
Bishop Matthew Kukah, in his review, called the autobiography “a vivid account of Nigeria’s turbulent history through a civil war and Gowon’s personal travails and life’s journey”.
He cautioned that no single memoir captures history in totality, but he said Gowon’s account offers valuable insights into decisions made during his tenure.
The CEO of Havilah Group and publisher of the autobiography, Akogun Adesuyi, said publishing biographies and autobiographies is “a civic duty” that preserves history and promotes thought leadership. He described the book as “a quintessential history to be read by students and enthusiasts of Nigeria’s historical development”.
“While working on this book, one principle stood out clearly: the importance of telling one’s own truth. And as we all know, truth remains a defence,” Adesuyi said.
“Too often, history is left in the hands of outsiders or shaped by incomplete recollections.
“There is an African proverb which says that until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.
“For too long, many of our national stories have been told from only one perspective. That is why we must tell our own stories and preserve our own memories.
“For over 30 years, I have remained committed to preserving memories, mindful of the African saying that whenever an old man dies, a library burns down. We thank God that General Gowon is still with us today to share his experiences firsthand.”
Other dignitaries present were former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar; former First Lady Patience Jonathan; Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang; ministers, including Atiku Bagudu and Hannatu Musawa; Defence Chief Gen. Christopher Musa; Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh; senior military officers; traditional and religious leaders; and other dignitaries.
