Aburi breaks down

In March 1967, the implementation of agreements reached at the Aburi Conference in Ghana collapsed as the federal government and Eastern Region under Colonel Ojukwu interpreted the accords differently. The federal government, led by General Gowon, rejected the Eastern Region's understanding that Aburi had granted significant autonomy to regional governments. Eastern leaders accused Lagos of reneging on commitments made during the January meeting, while federal officials argued the Eastern interpretation would effectively dissolve Nigeria's unity.

The Aburi breakdown stemmed from fundamental disagreements over Nigeria's post-coup political structure following the traumatic events of 1966. The Eastern Region, feeling marginalized after the anti-Igbo violence and military coups, had pushed for a loose confederation at Aburi that would protect regional interests. However, Northern and Western leaders, along with federal civil servants, viewed such arrangements as potentially breaking up Nigeria and insisted on maintaining a strong central government with unified command structures.