rlauncher:


When Azikiwe became governor-general and later on president in alliance with the north, the Yorubas suddenly find out that it was extremely difficult for them to find employment in the civil service, while it was much easier for Igbo people, leaving the Igbo people in absolute control of the Federal civil service. We understood that to be the actual reason Azikiwe dumped alliance with Awolowo's party for Sir Ahmadu Bello's party-opportunity to dominate at the federal level.

Never believe it when some historians tell you that Igbo dominance in the 60's was on merit. There was nothing statistically or scientific in any way, going by the demography and social mileuo of the nation to justify or prove that assertion.

Ngozi123:


It’s amazing, really; nothing you’ve said here has actually challenged what I said in my previous post .

7lives:
Go and see what S.L Akintola said concerning this matter on YouTube.
I will FOREVER remain grateful to PA AWOLOWO for putting a STOP to the attempted Colonization of SW, by the USELESS one Nigerianists who are wailing secession today, because they JUST could not succeed, no matter how hard they tried.

Egbé Ọmọ Odùduwà, was a Nigerian political organisation established in 1945, when Chief Obafemi Awolowo along with Dr. Oni Akerele, Chief Akintola Williams, Professor Saburi Biobaku, Chief Abiodun Akinrele, Chief D.O. A Oguntoye, Chief Ayo Rosiji and others, met in London.[1] Their stated aim in setting up the organisation was to unite the Yorùbá in a manner similar to the tenets of the Ibibio State Union and the Ibo Federal Union; which were political action committees of the Ibibio and the Igbo respectively......
Yoruba politicians in Lagos led by Chief Bode Thomas formed the group in response to the afore-mentioned ethnically specific organisations, and also to chart a specific course for the development of Nigeria's Western Region, populated overwhelmingly by Yorubas.

Ovamboland:


Where was Paul Unogo whne the Ibo union and Ibibio union was formed? When others congregate on tribal forum, that is not the beginning of tribalism? When other people in Northern region and Eastern region have a firm grip on their own regional elections that was never the beginning of tribalism. It only becomes tribalism when Yoruba insists that what obtains in other regions must be applicable in the West.

Ovamboland:


Where was Paul Unogo whne the Ibo union and Ibibio union was formed? When others congregate on tribal forum, that is not the beginning of tribalism? When other people in Northern region and Eastern region have a firm grip on their own regional elections that was never the beginning of tribalism. It only becomes tribalism when Yoruba insists that what obtains in other regions must be applicable in the West.

diadem10:


What's this dumb saying?

Why would he attack Unongo for his opinion? All he did was to debunk the basis of Unongo's opinion and you can do that to his as well if you feel you're not okay with his opinion.

No wonder people say Osu and stupidity are quite synonymous!

Rotimik:


I don't see why any one could accuse Awolowo of tribalism after he chose to cede the position of Prime Minister to Azikiwe to settle for a lesser post in the NCNC/AG coalition in 1960.

At least Awolowo tried to make up, but Azikiwe rejected his overtures.

Igbos should realise that in politics, there is no permanent friend nor enemies. Your political foe yesterday could become your political friend tomorrow.

We should not allow the mishap of yesterday to destroy our today or future

diadem10:


Yoruba men in the assembly house never voted him. The Ibadan independent group and other small parties voted for Awolowo. Foolish Zik already thought he had them in the bag because they've always voted for his party. Lol.

diadem10:


Yoruba men in the assembly house never voted him. The Ibadan independent group and other small parties voted for Awolowo. Foolish Zik already thought he had them in the bag because they've always voted for his party. Lol.

igbodefender:


You are talking of the cross carpeting. Why didn't Awolowo just let the parties alone after the election?! Awolowo usurped the mandate of the Yoruba people by breaking Zik's coalition.

Yoruba that voted for Zik's list were not fools. They knew they could easily vote him out him if he tried any nonsense.

rlauncher:


It isn't about Awolowo.

The people chose to put their own destiny in their own hands.

rlauncher:


They have forgotten how Azikiwe dumped Awolowo who advised him to take the post of the Prime Minister while Awolowo settles for the post of finance minister, to go form alliance with Sir Ahmadu Bello ,which enabled the northerners to take the Prime Ministership while the northerners made him a figurehead governor general who have no real authority. His hatred for Awolowo and Yoruba people cost the Igbos the opportunity to first rule Nigeria.

Let any Igbo refute this!.

igbodefender:
@T9ksy
The January 1966 coupists have said that their aim was to make Awo Prime Minister, a post held by Tafawa Balewa.

Recall that at that time Awolowo was in jail after being convicted of plotting coup against Balewa's government earlier on in 1963.

The coupists were die-hard supporters of Awolowo.

Of course, they were!!!

However, there was no movement in calabar where the man was being held at the time o.

Next thing, you will be telling us that Awo actually knew and planned the coup with ibo soldiers from his prison cell.

T9ksy:



Of course, they were!!!

However, there was no movement in calabar where the man was being held at the time o.

Next thing, you will be telling us that Awo actually knew and planned the coup with ibo soldiers from his prison cell.

rlauncher:
This write-up is in response to the interview granted by the highly respected leader of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Pa Unongo that the late sage, nationalist and former premier of the defunct Western Region of Nigeria ,Chief Obafemi Awolowo was responsible for the introduction of tribal politics in Nigeria.

I wish to unequivocally state here that this is further from the truth. This is not to say that the elderstateman is a liar, as I believe he sincerely spoke based on the information available to him.

We in the southwest who have a good sense of our national history have always known that the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was never the nationalist many people had always wanted us to believe he was because of the many things he did in the then Western Nigeria which were unknown to many people. But we always tried to keep quiet about these things in order not to malign the memory of our great men and for the sake of peace and national unity.

However, when a voice like that of the respected statesman comes casting us, the Yoruba people in bad light as a people responsible for tribal politics in Nigeria, we are left with no choice than to defend our name and integrity and set the record straight.

First, Awolowo did not start tribal politics in Nigeria, Azikiwe actually did.

It all started after Herbert Macaulay , a Yorubaman handed over the reins of the leadership of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon (NCNC), Nigeria's first nationalist political party to Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, an Igboman without rancour. No tribalism. No sooner had Azikiwe took over the rein of the political party than he started filling all the strategic posts in the party with people with people from the Eastern region especially people of Igbo extraction. This essentially transform a once national party into an Eastern or Igbo party. In the process, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his followers were forced out of a political party founded by a Yorubaland by an Igbo man . This was when the seed of tribal politics was sown by no other person but Azikiwe himself. The Action Group(AG) was founded by Awolowo as a result.

Apart from the above incidence, Azikiwe was using his national political influence to fill most federal positions in the federal civil service mainly with Igbo people in nowhere else but Western Region.That was at a time when the Western region indigenous people, the Yorubas could conveniently field four for every one qualified candidates the Igbo people could muster. A case in point was when about 104 lecturalship positions was made available at the University of Ibadan, the capital if Western Nigeria, and Azikiwe used his influence to ensure that Easterners got 94 of the 104 positions.

These and many other covert actions of Azikiwe in the Western region cost him the premiership as the Yorubas realized before it was too late that he could not be trusted.

T9ksy:



Yes o! Awo and his civilian colleagues in the AG were arrested for coup plotting by the coalition of the NPC and the NCNC govt.

Dedetwo:


I do not know why certain stocks in Nigeria tend to write crap in order to impress their silly selves. There is nobody who handed any party to Azikiwe. In addition, Awolowo was never a member of NCNC. In 1954, Azikiwe appointed a Yari.ba the secretary of eastern regional government. I wish to see the day these twisted group of people will sit truth on its feet.

Dedetwo:


You forgot that Yari.ba prosecuted, sentenced and jailed Awolowo. All the witnesses were Yari.ba including arresting police officers. If not for the intervention of an Igbo chap, Awolowo would never have seen Nigerian prison in Calabar. He meant to be send to the Nigerian prison in Bauchi where his silly life would have been snuffed out of him by the Abok

Dedetwo:


You forgot that Yari.ba prosecuted, sentenced and jailed Awolowo. All the witnesses were Yari.ba including arresting police officers. If not for the intervention of an Igbo chap, Awolowo would never have seen Nigerian prison in Calabar. He meant to be send to the Nigerian prison in Bauchi where his silly life would have been snuffed out of him by the Abok

igbodefender:
@T9ksy
The January 1966 coupists have said that their aim was to make Awo Prime Minister, a post held by Tafawa Balewa.

Recall that at that time Awolowo was in jail after being convicted of plotting coup against Balewa's government earlier on in 1963.

The coupists were die-hard supporters of Awolowo.

Rotimik:


I wonder where you read or learnt your own history. The top echelon and most of the founding members of AG were former NCNC members when Herbert Macaulay was still alive.

Rotimik:


This assertion that the coup was meant to make Awolowo the Prime Minister was, never a part of our history. It was concocted. An afterthought.

Rotimik:


This assertion that the coup was meant to make Awolowo the President was, never a part of our history. It was concocted. An afterthought.

igbodefender:


How do you know? Or because something doesn't suit you, you label it as concocted!?

igbodefender:


How do you know? Or because something doesn't suit you, you label it as concocted!?

Rotimik:


Before, during and after the civil war all through the years that Awolowo was alive, such assertion was unknown.

Suddenly, just a few years ago, some discredited men started mouthing such things. Do they think we are fools.

rlauncher:


Revisionist historians of the 21st century are trying to rewrite our history.