Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday indicated readiness to write his own memoir, saying he owes Nigerians and humanity a personal duty to document his stewardship in office and to present it the same way as former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon.
Jonathan stated this in Abuja while chairing the public presentation of Gowon’s autobiography, “My Life of Duty and Allegiance”, an event that drew top government officials, traditional rulers, diplomats and elder statesmen.
The former president described Gowon’s memoir as a “living testimony” from a leader who guided Nigeria through one of the country’s most turbulent periods after independence.
Reflecting on the importance of preserving history through personal accounts, Jonathan lamented that many valuable chapters of Nigeria’s national story had been lost because key actors failed to document their experiences.
“By sharing his story, General Gowon has rendered yet another important service to Nigeria and to the historical record of Africa,” Jonathan said.
“I believe this is a debt I also owe Nigerians and humanity. Someday, it will be my turn to present personal reflections at a programme like this,” he added.
Jonathan praised Gowon’s post-civil war reconciliation efforts, especially his famous declaration of “No Victor, No Vanquished” at the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970, describing it as the foundation for national healing, reconstruction and reintegration.
“As younger generations study our nation’s history, it is important that they hear directly from those who bore the burden of leadership during difficult times,” he said.
“Memoirs such as this help preserve institutional memory, deepen public understanding, and enrich the national conversation on governance and leadership.”
Also speaking at the event, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, underscored the importance of leaders writing autobiographies while still alive to prevent distortion of facts.
“Launching your own biography while you are still alive is one of the most important things to do,” the monarch said.
“It is not after someone’s death that people write lies and lies about the person when he is not alive to defend himself. We thank Allah, you are alive and you presented to us your own true words.”
The Sultan described Gowon as an honorary member of the Sultan Abubakar family and commended his lifelong commitment to humility, spirituality and peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims.
In his goodwill message, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, said while governments, policies and infrastructure may change with time, a leader’s character remains permanently engraved in public memory.
Sanusi recalled a childhood experience in Kaduna where Gowon, despite being Head of State and Commander-in-Chief at the time, regularly wrote affectionate handwritten letters signed “Uncle Joe” to Yusuf Opam, the son of his late friend, Col. Opam, who was killed in the 1960s.
“That is a window into the person that you’re dealing with,” Sanusi said.
“As head of state, Commander-in-Chief, he would write a handwritten letter to the son of his dead friend, so that the boy would continue to feel he had a father.”
Reviewing the autobiography, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, described the book as a lesson in selfless public service and responsible leadership.
“If this book achieves anything, let it be to show that public service is never a call to gain glory, but an aspiration to guardianship by those who lead with conscience and conviction,” Kukah said.
While acknowledging that autobiographies are often shaped by personal perspectives, Kukah encouraged those with differing views to tell their own stories.
“Nobody tells all the truth, because a point of view is a point for review,” he said.
“The author has written things as he saw them. And if you respond negatively to autobiography, the answer is go and write your own.”
Earlier, publisher of the memoir and Group Chief Executive of Hailsham Group, Akogun Adesuyi, warned that failing to tell one’s story leaves room for others to distort history.
“If you do not tell your story, the void will be filled with versions told by persons with vested interest to undermine the essence of all that you embody,” he said.
The event was attended by top government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, former heads of state, governors, ministers and members of the diplomatic corps.
