Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Col. Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu
On May 6, 1967, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a revered Yoruba leader, met with Colonel Emeka Ojukwu, the military governor of the Eastern Region, in Enugu. The goal of the meeting was clear: to prevent Nigeria from descending into war. Awolowo had just made a powerful statement days earlier, on May 1, 1967, declaring that if the Eastern Region decided to secede from Nigeria, the Yoruba people would follow suit and seek their own independence. This gave the Eastern leadership some hope of solidarity in their fight for self-determination.
However, things took a dramatic turn. On May 27, 1967, Colonel Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s Head of State, announced the creation of 12 states from the existing four regions, a move many saw as a calculated attempt to weaken the East. Three days later, on May 30, 1967, Ojukwu responded by declaring the Eastern Region an independent state, calling it the Republic of Biafra.
But to Ojukwu’s surprise and disappointment, Awolowo did not follow through on his earlier promise. Instead of leading the Yoruba into secession, he aligned himself with the Federal Military Government. Awolowo became the Vice Chairman of the Federal Executive Council and the Federal Commissioner of Finance, playing a significant role in the Nigerian Civil War. His policies, including the economic blockade of Biafra, crippled the region and contributed to the immense suffering that defined the war.
For many, Awolowo’s decision remains a painful chapter in Nigerian history. To Ojukwu and his people, it felt like a betrayal—a promise of unity broken at their moment of greatest need.
