General Yakubu Gowon denies rumoured death, says “I am still around and well. I am not in a hurry” – Adeyeye E. Ajayi mni, Personal Aide to General Yakubu Gowon
Former Military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has denied the rumors circulating about his demise.
In a telephone conversation with Vanguard, the retired Army general emphatically confirmed that he is very much alive, expressing bewilderment about the source of these baseless speculations.
Speculations had arisen on social media platforms, suggesting that General Gowon had passed away at the age of 89. However, when contacted by a Vanguard editor via phone, the General promptly dismissed these claims, asserting that he is alive and in good health.
Responding to these unfounded rumors, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, the Delta State Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the 2023 election, who is known to have close ties with General Gowon, condemned the speculations as the handiwork of troublemakers.
Gbagi, a former Minister of State for Education, conveyed his statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Orusi Kenneth, on Monday. Gbagi clarified that General Gowon is alive, well, and presently in London.
Gbagi was quoted as saying, “General Gowon is still very much with us, in good health. He has no intention of leaving us anytime soon.”
He further affirmed, “I, Gbagi, have personally spoken with him. I want to categorically deny the rumor of my friend, General Gowon’s death. He has personally communicated to Nigerians that he is alive and well. Gowon is alive.”
However, it was discovered that these speculations on social media began following the passing of a man named Gowon, Professor Samuel Gowon Edoumiekumo, the former Vice Chancellor of the Niger Delta University in Bayelsa State, who had served as the Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities and died on a recent Saturday.
