How Awolowo Betrayed Ojukwu –

How Awolowo Betrayed Ojukwu –

How Awolowo Betrayed Ojukwu –

Obafemi Awolowo Betr@yed Ojukwu and Biafra full time. He is obviously the reason why Biafra didn’t come A MUST READ FOR ALL.
On May 6, 1967, Chief Obafemi Awolowo met with Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Military Governor of the Eastern Region, in Enugu.
The purpose of this meeting was to avert an impending war and explore political solutions to Nigeria’s deepening cr!sis. Just days earlier, on May 1, 1967, Awolowo had made a powerful public declaration that if the Eastern Region chose to secede from Nigeria, the Yoruba people would also withdraw and pursue their own independence. This statement gave the Eastern leadership hope that they would not stand alone in their quest for self-determination.
Nigeria was an artificial union of three distinct peoples with different cultures, histories, and political interests, unfairly forced together. Ojukwu relied heavily on Awolowo’s words and assurances, believing that once Biafra was declared, Awolowo would honour his position by proclaiming the Oduduwa Republic.

Acting on this expectation, on May 30, 1967, Ojukwu declared the Eastern Region an independent state, naming it the Republic of Biafra. This declaration was made with the clear hope that Awolowo would immediately follow through by declaring the Oduduwa Nation, as earlier discussed.

However, to Ojukwu’s shock and deep disappointment, Awolowo did not keep his word. Instead of leading the Yoruba into secession, he aligned himself with the Federal Military Government. He accepted the position of Vice Chairman of the Federal Executive Council and became Federal Commissioner for Finance, placing him at the very center of the w@r effort against Biafra.

Had Awolowo declared the Oduduwa Republic as promised, the civil w@r might never have happened. Nigeria would have been unable to f!ght two separate nations at the same time, and the political equation would have been entirely different. Instead, Awolowo’s decision altered the course of history.

This perceived betr@yal by Awolowo remains one of the deepest wounds of the w@r and is often cited as a reason why many Igbo people remain extremely cautious in political dealings with Yoruba leaders to this day.