The Aburi Accord was a popular phrase during the administration of

Analyze the question: The question asks which Nigerian head of state was in power when the term "Aburi Accord" became popular.

Explain the concept: The Aburi Accord was an agreement reached at a meeting in Aburi, Ghana, on 4-5 January 1967. The meeting was hosted by General Joseph Ankrah, then Ghana's head of state. It brought together Nigeria's military leaders and the Eastern Region's military governor, Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu. The aim was to find a peaceful solution to the political crisis that followed the 1966 coups and the killings in the North. The agreement was about:

• Loosening the structure of the federation (a more confederal arrangement)
• Giving regions more autonomy
• Paying salaries to displaced civil servants
• Making decisions by the Supreme Military Council

Step-by-step solution:

1. The January 1966 coup and the July 1966 counter-coup were the major events before Aburi.
2. Aguiyi Ironsi was head of state from January to July 1966. He was killed in the July 1966 counter-coup, so he was no longer in power in January 1967.
3. Yakubu Gowon became head of state in August 1966 and led Nigeria until July 1975.
4. The Aburi meeting took place in January 1967, during Gowon's rule.
5. Disagreements over how to interpret the accord, and the failure to implement it, led to the breakdown of talks. Ojukwu declared Biafra in May 1967, and the civil war began in July 1967.
6. Murtala Muhammed (1975-1976) and Olusegun Obasanjo (1976-1979) came later and had nothing to do with it.

Answer: The Aburi Accord was a popular phrase during the administration of Yakubu Gowon, which is option C.

Exam tip: Link "Aburi" with "1967, Gowon, Ojukwu, Ankrah". Remember the sequence: Ironsi (Jan-Jul 1966), Gowon (1966-75), Murtala (1975-76), Obasanjo (1976-79). Any event in 1967 to 1970, such as Aburi or the civil war, belongs to Gowon.