“I Don’t Mind Being Called Abraham Lincoln of Nigeria” – Gowon

Former military head of state, Yakubu Gowon, has expressed his openness to being referred to as the “Abraham Lincoln of Nigeria,” highlighting the striking parallels between his experiences during the Nigerian Civil War and those of the former American president during the U.S. Civil War.

In an interview with Daily Trust, Gowon reflected on a recent comparison made by Newsweek magazine, which likened his leadership during Nigeria’s civil conflict, which lasted from 1967 to 1970, to that of Lincoln, who presided over the American Civil War from April 1861 to April 1865. Gowon held office as Nigeria’s head of state from August 1, 1966, to July 29, 1975.

Describing the similarities as “very much alike” and “uncanny,” Gowon emphasized the shared experiences of leadership amid national turmoil.

He noted that both leaders faced significant challenges in preserving their nations during periods marked by intense division and conflict.

Gowon said, “I remember this question of comparing me with Abraham Lincoln (at the end of the civil war) — I remember that during the time, somebody called Mr Martin Dent and gave me a book about the American civil war, but because of what was happening, I had no time to read it until towards the end.

“Honestly, if I had read that book before we prosecuted the Nigerian civil war, if anybody had said that I was trying to make myself look like Abraham Lincoln, I would have found it very difficult to say there was no comparison between us.

“The only difference was that at the end of it, I was able to continue with the reconciliation and getting the country through.

“So, sometimes I say to myself that I don’t mind being called the Abraham Lincoln of Nigeria because we had a similar situation and we were able to achieve the same result.

“I remember that one English journalist asked why I thought the war was over —what if the people continued with guerrilla warfare? But thank God there was no guerrilla.”

Gowon said the Nigerian civil war was inevitable due to the south-east’s desire to secede.

The former head of state asked south-east residents to embrace national unity, stating that “Biafra’s dissolution followed Nigerians’ acceptance of reintegration and unity”.

“I have always said that if there’s no secession, there wouldn’t be a break out and there wouldn’t be a question of civil war because it got to the stage that the situation was getting pretty clear that a part of the country, the South-east wanted to secede,” he added.