It is only fair to pay this well-deserved
tribute to the memory of one of Nigeria’s
founding fathers, Obafemi Awolowo. Despite
all his ups and downs in the struggle for
national leadership and even, after losing
out, there was never, (repeat never) a time
Awolowo accused his only major rivals,
Nnamdi Azikiwe and Tafawa Balewa of
conspiring against him.
Ahmadu Bello, the late premier of the defunct
northern region did not aspire to Nigeria ’s
national leadership. Why therefore is this
political reminiscence?
Not long ago, law teacher Itse Sagay stirred
avoidable controversy when he strayed
from an ordinary interview with a Lagos
newspaper and pointedly accused former
(ceremonial) president Nnamdi Azikiwe and
Nigeria ’s first (so far only) Prime Minister, the
late Tafawa Balewa of conspiring against
their political contemporary, Obafemi
Awolowo.
The alleged conspiracy, as specified by Itse
Sagay, arose from the eventual outcome of
the 1962 crisis in the banned Action Group –
the tussle for the west regional premiership,
whether at the end of the emergency rule,
Chief S.L. Akintola was to be restored to office
or whether there should be fresh general
elections in the West.
The Federal Supreme Court in Lagos ruled
that Chief Akintola at the end of emergency
rule, should be restored as west regional
premier but the Privy Council in London ruled
in favour of rival claimant that the
emergency rule should be followed by fresh
elections. In the face of the potential political/
constitutional crisis, instead of complying
with the Privy Council ruling, Prime Minister
Tafawa Balewa maintained his support for
Chief Akintola, rushed through parliament an
amendment to the constitution abolishing
appeals to the Privy Council in London and
backdated it to October 1st, 1960.
Adegbenro ’s legal victory at Privy Council
instantly became a nullity.
Conspiracy against Obafemi Awolowo?
Would he have done anything less if in
Tafawa Balewa ’s position? Better still, what
was the record before then? History will
prove who started such political tactics
against Nnamdi Azikiwe/NCNC. The truth,
however, was that Obafemi Awolowo in
1962 was simply met in his game.
The (1962) crisis in the Action Group was
simply a cut-throat struggle for supremacy
between Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke
Akintola, and such was not unprecedented in
Nigeria. As far back as 1941, there was the
crisis in Nigerian Youth Movement over the
party ’s candidate for a by-election to the Old
Legislative Council. Obafemi Awolowo
supported Ernest Ikoli, strictly in line with the
movement ’s constitution that once the
president expressed interest in such an
election, his candidacy would be unopposed.
On the other hand, Zik supported the
candidacy of Samuel Akinsanya (later Odemo
of Ishara) to express his (Zik ’s) distaste of the
derogatory remarks of Lagos members who
derided the prospects of an Ijebu man
contesting election in Lagos as that would
make it impossible for non-Lagosians to
contest in future.
With equally matched arguments, the election
held and Ernest Ikoli won, thereby
vindicating Awolowo ’s stand. It was
therefore to be expected that when Zik faced
the same problem in the NCNC after the 1951
elections in western region which then
extended to Lagos, if Awolowo did not
support Nnamdi Azikiwe, he (Zik) should at
least be left alone to solve his party ’s internal
crisis. But what happened?
Nnamdi Azikiwe ’s party, NCNC cleared all
Lagos seats with the following candidates in
this order – Ibiyinka Olorunnimbe (then
Mayor of Lagos) Prince Adeleke Adedoyin,
Nnamdi Azikiwe, TOS Benson and ex-union
leader H.P. Adebola. By that victory, the NCNC
was to send an elected member to the
legislative council and Zik as the party ’s
leader, supported by Benson and Adebola
was to go. That of course, would put Zik as
NCNC leader ahead of Awolowo in political
prospects.
Action Group under Awolowo completely
incited Ibiyinka Olorunnimbe and Adeleke
Adedoyin to resist Zik’s ambition. Purely
circumstantial evidence? Ibiyinka
Olorunnimbe ’s erstwhile rising political
prospect crashed and sent him to complete
oblivion. If Awolowo merited any doubt,
such disappeared when Adeleke Adedoyin,
an NCNC elected member for Lagos crossed
from NCNC to the Action Group on the floor
of the house of assembly and was instantly
elected the first speaker of Western House of
Assembly.
The plot against Zik to induce NCNC members
to cross the floor to Action Group was later
conceded by Action Group ’s federal secretary
Ayo Rosiji in his biography. Even the late Bola
Ige, in one of his books, admitted that it was
unfair for the Action Group to have blocked
Zik from going to the old legislative council.
It was even amusing reading the late AMA
Akinloye in 1994, on Zik ’s ninetieth birthday,
virtually apologizing on behalf of his fellow
NCNC members who crossed to Action Group.
Akinloye ’s explanation in newspaper
advertisements in 1990? Zik was not
deserted as an Igbo but that they (who
crossed to Action Group (Speaker Adeleke
Adedoyin, Finance Minister F.O. Awosika,
Agriculture Minister Akinloye) only wanted a
Yoruba man to rule the West. Difference
between six and half a dozen? There is also
the long gap between 1951 when Zik was
blocked and 1963 when Awolowo ’s protégé,
D.S. Adegbenro was blocked.
And if conspiracy was the word, then, there
had been many in the mid-years. In 1953,
Awolowo (despite the Lagos legislative
council and western region carpet-crossing
episodes) would still not let off Zik. There was
the McPherson constitution which Zik, as
NCNC leader considered unsuitable for an
ideal federation especially with lop-sided
allocation of seats to the House of
Representatives in Lagos.
The NCNC, under Zik, therefore directed its
federal ministers – Alfred Chuku Nwapa, Okoi
Arikpo and E.M.L. Endely to cabinet posts. The
three NCNC ministers in defiance of their
party ’s directive, refused to quit and became
notorious as “sit-tight ministers.” A purely
political party’s internal conflict, but who
openly backed the rebellious ministers
against Zik? Obafemi Awolowo and the
Action Group. Was that a conspiracy against
Zik? As to be expected the three ministers
were expelled from the NCNC.
A fall-out of the 1953 sit-tight ministers ’ crisis
in the NCNC is often mischievously cited
against Zik for allegedly unseating Eyo Ita as
a non-Igbo leader of government business in
Eastern region. While the sit-tight ministers
crisis rocked the NCNC and the dissidents
(admittedly for political purposes) were
supported by Awolowo against Zik, a
supposed leader of (NCNC) government
business (as regional premiers were then
known) Professor Eyo Ita openly supported
the sit-tight ministers against their party led
by Zik.
At that stage, a show-down was inevitable to
test Eyo Ita ’s popularity if he was supported
by NCNC members in Eastern House of
Assembly. A vote of no confidence in his
continued leadership (of government
business in the East) was moved on the floor
of the house and almost unanimously carried
except opposition from Action Group
members of the House.
Zik had to assume leadership to restore party
discipline and political stability. No other
party members could have successfully
undertaken that assignment.
By the way, when Chief Akintola, nine years
later, was similarly accused of not supporting
(Action Group) party policy, there was the
same attempt to impeach him on the floor of
the House Assembly in Ibadan except that his
party was more divided than the NCNC (in
1953) and violence erupted in the legislature
leading eventually to declaration of
emergency.
When the 1962 crisis in the Action Group was
rightly or wrongly handled or mishandled,
the region-wide violence in the West led to
the January 1966 military coup.
Another fall-out of the 1953 sit-tight
ministers NCNC crisis was that after their
expulsion from the party, one of them, E.M.L.
Endeley from Southern Cameroons, formed a
new party which was instantly embraced in
an alliance by Obafemi Awolowo ’s Action
Group. Was that a conspiracy against Zik?
There was the Foster-Sutton inquiry into
African Continental Bank on deposits of East
regional government funds in the bank
founded by Zik. The star witness (perhaps
the chief prosecution witness) was Chief
Effiong O Eyo, an ex-confidant of Zik. For the
expected political execution, Obafemi
Awolowo ’s Action Group secured, for E.O.
Eyo, the services of a British Queens Counsel,
Christopher Shawcross.
Was that a conspiracy against Zik?
A leading Nigerian lawyer, Udo Udoma was
an associate of Zik and of course member of
the NCNC. Down the line and as a
constitutional right, he had to pursue
immediate group interests in the Calabar
Ogoja Rivers (COR) state movement.
Instantly, Udo Udoma ’s (COR) state
movement was wooed by and fell for an
alliance with Obafemi Awolowo ’s Action
Group. That could easily have been
considered a conspiracy against Zik.
Even though Premier Ahmadu Bello limited
his personal political aspirations to the north,
yet, his Northern People ’s Congress (later
Nigerian People’s Congress) did not escape
internal squabbles. Hence, a member, Ibrahim
Imam broke away and formed Borno Youth
Movement. Readily, a political ally was found
in Obafemi Awolowo ’s Action Group.
Could that be interpreted or did any NPC
sympathizer deem it as a conspiracy against
Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa?
In contrast, in1956, the first minister of
Education in Western region, Stephen
Awokoya, disagreed with Obafemi Awolowo,
resigned accordingly from the Action Group
and formed his Nigerian Peoples ’ Party. None
of Zik, Ahmadu Bello or Tafawa Balewa
supported Awokoya in any alliance against
Obafemi Awolowo/Action Group, and this
accounted for Awokoya ’s failure to win a
single seat in the 1956 west regional
elections.
Again, in 1958, another revolt led by Kingsley
Ozumba Mbadiwe broke out against Nnamdi
Azikiwe ’s leadership in the NCNC. Mbadiwe
was egged on by Obafemi Awolowo’s Action
Group. Collapse of Mbadiwe’s challenge led to
his expulsion from NCNC. He then formed
Democratic Party of Nigeria and the
Cameroon. (DPNC). Obafemi Awolowo ’s Action
Group hurried an alliance with Mbadiwe for
the 1959 elections. Was that a conspiracy
against Zik?
When Joseph Tarka led masses ’ revolt in
Middle Belt, his major ally was Awolowo’s
Action Group. Nobody grumbled a conspiracy
against Ahmadu Bello.
All the events occurred before 1963. If
therefore for once, (at least, for purposes of
political argument) Zik and Tafawa Balewa
supported Ladoke Akintola against Obafemi
Awolowo, it could not be any political
conspiracy. Or if it was a conspiracy, it was
only a clone of the tactics tested from Action
Group all along.
Was it ever considered a conspiracy when
others were on the receiving end of
convenient alliances/political expediencies, all
introduced into Nigerian politics by the
Action Group, why the alarm and whining
when others, with the same tactics, had the
upper hand?
Deplorable as the 1963 rushed amendment
of Nigerian Constitution dating back to
October 1st 1960 was, it was not the first
retroactive legislation in Nigeria. Tafawa
Balewa only copied what the Action Group
regime in the West, led by Obafemi Awolowo
started in 1955 in the Olubadan Chieftaincy
succession crisis to nullify Adegoke Adelabu’s
installation of his own candidate as Olubadan
of Ibadan.
With the 1955 amendment to the western
region ’s chief’s law and backdated, it became
a criminal offence for anybody to install a
traditional ruler without government ’s
approval or for anybody to allow himself to
be appointed a traditional ruler without
government ’s approval.
The retroactive legislation in the west served
its intended political purpose as both
Adegoke Adelabu and his Olubadan-elect

YORUBA people don come again oh,