On this day, May 27 in 1967, General Yakubu Gowon declared a state of emergency and divided Nigeria’s four regions into 12 states.
This came up barely days after the Eastern region declared itself the independent state of Biafra, with Odumegwu Ojukwu as its leader, and armed conflict between Biafra and the Nigerian government began in July.
According to Gowon, the fight was against Nigerians who were to be encouraged to rejoin the country. He also allowed a team of international observers to monitor the conduct of his troops.
After the government victory in January 1970, a remarkable reconciliation took place between victors and vanquished, largely attributable to Gowon’s personal influence.
By the mid-1970s Gowon was emerging as an international leader and was involved in the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
On July 29, 1975, however, while Gowon was in Uganda for an Organization of African Unity summit meeting, the army removed him from office.
Gowon was exiled to Great Britain. In addition, he was stripped of his rank for allegedly participating in the assassination of his successor, Brig. Gen. Murtala Mohammed, in 1976.
However, he was pardoned by Pres. Shehu Shagari in 1981, and his rank was restored by Pres. Ibrahim Babangida in 1987.
Having earned a Ph.D. at Warwick University in 1983, Gowon had become a professor of political science at the University of Jos in the mid-1980s and attained the status of an elder statesman in Nigerian politics.
