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Ugomba:
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ooduapathfinder:
www.ooduapathfinder.com
By adminadmin on December 20, 2015
Beautiful nonsence!!


[b]The recent intervention on Biafran protests by some leaders from the East, led by the deputy Senate president,Ike Ekweremadu, brings into focus the need to formally address the issue of marginalization being touted as one of the main reasons for the agitations. Marginalization had been the Eastern Mantra in her affairs within Nigeria and more often than not, it is based on a falsehood as their roles in all Nigerian administrations, both civilian and military, the most recent being the Jonathan Administration, proved otherwise. They also predicate their demand on a quest for justice; yet justice without truth is itself an injustice hence when falsehood become the foundation of a claim, the question to be asked is why, especially when such falsehoods can easily be identified. So, why do the Igbo persist in perpetuating a falsehood as a basis for their demand for justice?
Since this is not the first time where such a falsehood will become a foundation for a demand, it is necessary to interrogate this aspect of their praxis as it appears it forms part of their political coming into being, since the anti-colonial period, anchored on Zik’s proclamation as to the Igbo being destined by the gods of Africa to liberate Africans from the barbarism of the ages. Part of this predestination was the attempt by Zik himself to perpetuate a falsehood for his own political purposes, a prime example of which was his claim that he or his party the NCNC won the 1951 elections into the Western Regional House of Assembly. It was a falsehood carried over by his associates and followers, including Chinua Achebe who claimed to have been an eye-witness to the “carpet crossing” and others like Mathew Mbu and K.O Mbadiwe. As part of “ooduapathfinder’s” efforts to address some of these falsehoods, we begin with the 1951 Western Regional Elections where a veteran journalist, Felix Adenaike was able to put the elections in perspective, in a detailed manner, hence the following report whose background facts can also be found in “Awo or Zik—Who won the 1951 Western Nigeria Elections”, a book by Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu(available at Amazon.com).[/b]

“Dr. Mbu said of that election held on 24 September 1951 that: “Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was betrayed by the Western Region of Nigeria, not by the electorate, but by the leaders. The NCNC won the election against the Action Group (led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo), but the Action Group introduced what was unknown to Nigerian history”, namely, “carpet crossing. They Action Group bought members of the NCNC to join the Action Group after these people had won election on the platform of the NCNC. Zik, the leader of a majority party in the Western Region became the Leader of Opposition overnight”.
Reminded by the interviewer that the late Chief AMA Akinloye had maintained in his lifetime that he and his group had contested the election on a neutral platform from the NCNC, Dr. Mbu said: “That is his version… He is entitled to say what he wants to say. I don’t want to say ill of the dead.. He knew he was NCNC and his group was NCNC. Adelabu remained NCNC. He stuck on to NCNC till he died”.

The late Dr. Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe said in his autobiography, “Rebirth of a nation”, among others that: “But in pursuance of the policy of creating a political climate healthy enough to make one a citizen wherever he lived, Dr. Azikiwe contested and won the general elections in 1951 into the Western House of Assembly. To stultify this policy of one Nigeria in favor of his tribally-based philosophy, Chief Awolowo got some elected members to cross carpet from the NCNC to his AG side. Zik the victor lost. And Awolowo’s party was able to form the government of the Western Region.”
At a news conference in Lagos on 20 September 1989, more than two years after Chief Awolowo’s death, Dr. Mbadiwe returned to the topic saying: “Dr. Azikiwe and his party won the majority of seats in the Western House of Assembly. He was due to be elected the Leader of Government Business, when overnight, the Action Group introduced the notorious carpet-crossing. By this manipulation, members who won under the NCNC crossed over to the Action Group building it to become the majority party in the West. As a result of this, Chief Awolowo was elected Leader of Government Business and Dr. Azikiwe had to resign.”

Neither Dr. Mbu nor Dr. Mbadiwe named the members of the NCNC who contested the election on the party’s platform and later joined the Action Group to enable Chief Awolowo form the government to the exclusion of Dr. Azikiwe. These are weighty allegations such that they would have assisted their readers to clear the issues rather just repeat their own version of the events at that time in the hope that such repetitions would turn falsehood into facts.
To avert conflicting claims over candidates, Mr. Harold Cooper, the Government Public Relations Officer, wrote to the parties to furnish a list of the candidates contesting election on their platforms. Only the Action Group complied with this request and its list of candidates was as follows: Ijebu Remo Division – Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole; Ijebu Ode Division – S.O. Awokoya, Rev. S.A. Banjo and V.D. Phillips; Oyo Division – Chief Bode Thomas, Abiodun Akerele, A.B.P. Martins, T.A. Amao and SB Eyitayo; Osun Division – SL Akintola, JO Adigun, JO Oroge, S.I. Ogunwale, I…A. Adejare, J.A. Ogunmuyiwa and S.O. Ola; Ondo Division – P.A. Ladapo and G.A. Deko; Okitipupa Division – Dr. L.B. Lebi, CA Tewe and SO Tubo; Epe Division – SL Edu, AB Gbajumo, Obafemi Ajayi and C.A. Williams; Ikeja Division – O. Akeredolu-Ale, SO Gbadamosi and FO Okuntola; Badagry Division – Chief CD Akran, Akinyemi Amosu and Rev. GM Fisher; Egba Division – J.F. Odunjo, Alhaji A.T. Ahmed, CPA Cole, Rev S.A. Daramola, Akintoye Tejuoso, SB Sobande, IO Delano and A Adedamola.

The others were as follows: Egbado Division – J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi, Adebiyi Adejumo, A. Akin Illo and P.O. Otegbeye; Ife Division – Rev S.A. Adeyefa, D.A. Ademiluyi, J.O. Opadina, and S.O. Olagbaju; Ekiti Division – E.A. Babalola, Rev. J Ade Ajayi, S.K. Familoni, S.A. Okeya and D Atolagbe; Owo Division – Michael Adekunle Ajasin, A.O. Ogedengbe, JA Agunloye, LO Omojola and R.A. Olusa; Western Ijaw Division – Pere EH Sapre-Obi and MF Agidee; Ishan Division – Anthony Enahoro; Urhobo Division – WE Mowarin, J.B. Ohwinbiri and JD Ifode; Warri Division – Arthur Prest and O. Otere, and Kukuruku Division – D.J.I. Igenuma.
Of the names on the list, only MA Ajasin from Owo Division, which comprised Akoko then, did not run because of party solidarity and unity in Owo. He stood down for A.O. Ogedengbe and R.A. Olusa to contest two of the three seats, which they won, while D.K. Olumofin won the third for the NCNC. Three secretaries of the Action Group, who ran as independents and won were: Alhaji D.S. Adegbenro, Egba Division; J.O. Osuntokun, Ekiti Division and S.O. Hassan, Epe Division.

At the close of polls on 24 September 1951, the Action Group had won 38 of the 72 seats in contention in the Regional Assembly. There were a total of 80 seats. Lagos had five seats in the West Regional Assembly all won by the NCNC in the election of 20 November 1951, while Benin had three won by Otu Edo candidates in the election of 6 December 1951. The poll had been postponed in Lagos and Benin following security concerns. Of the 68 candidates on the list furnished by the Action Group to the Government PR Department, 38 of the elected AG members were from that list. And they were as follows: Ijebu Remo – Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole; Ijebu Ode – Rev. SA Banjo and S.O. Awokoya; Oyo – Bode Thomas, Abiodun Akerele, ABP Thomas, TA Amao and SB Eyitayo; Osun – S.L. Akintola, J.O. Adigun, JA Oroge, S.I. Ogunwale, I.A. Adejare, J.A. Ogunmuyiwa and S.O. Ola.
Other elected AG members from the list were: Egba – J.F. Odunjo, Alhaji AT Ahmed, Rev. S.A. Daramola and Prince Adedamola; Egbado (now Yewa) – J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi and A. Akin Illo; Ekiti – E.A. Babalola and Rev. J. Ade-Ajayi; Badagry – Chief CD Akran and Rev. G.M. Fisher; Ikeja – SO Gbadamosi and O Akeredolu-Ale; Ife – Rev. SA Adeyefa and SO Olagbaju; Owo – AO Ogedengbe and RA Olusa; Epe – Safi Lawal Edu; Okitipupa – C.A. Tewe; Western Ijaw – M.F. Agidee; Ishan – Anthony Enahoro, and Warri – Arthur Prest.

In addition to the Action Group and the NCNC, there were local/divisional parties such as the Ibadan People’s Party (IPP), led by Chief AMA Akinloye; Ondo Improvement League, and Otu Edo of Benin. At the end of poll, the standing of the parties was as follows: Action Group 38; NCNC/Independents 25; IPP 6 and Ondo Improvement League 2. Otu Edo candidates won the three Benin seats, namely, Chief SO Ighodaro, Chief Humphrey Omo-Osagie and Chief Chike Ekwuyasi. Chief Ighodaro opted for the AG, while the latter two went to the NCNC. And of the six IPP elected members, only Adegoke Adelabu joined the NCNC. The rest of them: AMA Akinloye, Chief DT Akinbiyi (who later became the Olubadan of Ibadan), Chief SO Lanlehin, Moyosore Aboderin and SA Akinyemi, opted for the Action Group. The NCNC National Secretary, the late Chief Kola Balogun had sent declaration forms to the IPP assemblymen asking them to declare for the NCNC but Chief Akinloye returned all the forms uncompleted.
The three AG secretaries who had run as independents – Adegbenro, Osuntokun and Hassan, five IPP members, one Etu Edo, and one Ondo Improvement League, Chief F.O. Awosika; and Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola (Independent, Ijebu Ode) had swollen the number of the AG elected members. All the transactions had taken place before the inauguration of the Regional Assembly on 7 January 1952. These were not known members of the NCNC, nor did the party publish their names on the list of its candidates, but claimed them as its “members, supporters or sympathizers” , according to inimitable Zik in his “My Odyssey”. It takes more than speculation to claim a person as a member of your political party. You cannot just be under the “impression” as Zik had claimed that they were and go ahead to field them as electoral candidates. For over a half century, the NCNC is yet to provide evidence to back its claim that it had won the West Regional election in 1951.

Mr Cooper absolved his department of responsibility for the controversy generated by the NCNC after the election. At a post election news conference in Lagos he said that “Of the winning candidates, the names of 38 were on the list sent to me by the Action Group. The six successful candidates at Ibadan were all among those who had been identified to me as representing the Ibadan People’s Party. No claim of any kind had reached us about the party affiliation of the remaining successful candidates.” Why did the NCNC not send a list of its candidates for the poll to the Government PR Department before that poll? And why have Dr. Mbu and the others not published the list of NCNC candidates to substantiate their electoral victory claim in over 50 years but merely kept reaping false claims? The records of the poll conducted in the West and all over Nigeria by the colonial administration are available at the National Archives and can be accessed by any honest researcher. In this matter, it is facts that speak, not what some political/ethnic partisan said or did not say.

Dr Azikiwe’s frustration was not only in losing the regional election, he also lost the election to the House of Representatives held on 10 January 1951 at the House of Assembly, Ibadan, among NCNC members. The total tally for the 1951 poll in the 80-member Western Regional Assembly was as follows: Action Group 38; Independent/ AG 15; NCNC 24; Independent/ NCNC 3. Three members of the NCNC who had been elected to the House changed party allegiance that day ahead of the House of Representatives vote. They were: Chief SY Kesington-Momoh, JG Ako, and Awodi Orisaremi, from Urhobo and Kukuruku Divisions. They were running for the House of Representatives and wanted Action Group votes. Kesington-Momoh and Ako were elected, but Orisaremi went back to the NCNC. That was all the carpet-crossing that took place on 10 January 1952, namely, three at first to the AG and one back to the NCNC.

From the vote tally, it is clear that the NCNC and the Independent /NCNC totalling 27 seats altogether out of 80 seats could not have formed the Government of Western Nigeria. Even if the local/divisional parties had chosen the NCNC, it would still be some seats short of 41 required to form the government. The Action Group won 38 seats; its independent candidates – Adegbenro, Osuntokun, Hassan and Odutola won four seats making a total of 42 seats. The AG could have formed the government without the support of the other small parties. It did not have to “bribe” anybody to join it to form the government. Since politics is a game of number, only few principled politicians would not be disposed to joining the winning party, in this case, the AG.
Dr. Mbadiwe also claimed in his book: “Successful NCNC men who were not Yoruba were scared away. Dr. Azikiwe who won a seat to the Western House (of) Assembly from a Lagos constituency decided to resign. Since membership of the House of Representatives was by an electoral college in the regional house, no NCNC from the West came to the House of Representatives in Lagos”. This is blatantly false. Zik resigned because he lost election to the federal house from the West, while Prince Adeleke Adedoyin, Dr. Ibiyinka Olorun-Nimbe, Chief Frank Oputa-Otutu, Chief Denis Osadebey and Sir Odeleye Fadahunsi were elected from Ibadan to Lagos. Whoever scared non-Yoruba NCNC people from the West? Chief Denis Osadebey succeeded Adegoke Adelabu as Opposition Leader in the West and the likes of Humphrey Omo-Osagie, Festus Okotie-Eboh, Chike Ekwuyasi, Fidelis H Utomi, Obi Osagie, Yamu Numa, GO Oweh and GB Ometan were non-Yoruba NCNC in that Assembly. “

ooduapathfinder:
www.ooduapathfinder.com
By adminadmin on December 20, 2015



[b]The recent intervention on Biafran protests by some leaders from the East, led by the deputy Senate president,Ike Ekweremadu, brings into focus the need to formally address the issue of marginalization being touted as one of the main reasons for the agitations. Marginalization had been the Eastern Mantra in her affairs within Nigeria and more often than not, it is based on a falsehood as their roles in all Nigerian administrations, both civilian and military, the most recent being the Jonathan Administration, proved otherwise. They also predicate their demand on a quest for justice; yet justice without truth is itself an injustice hence when falsehood become the foundation of a claim, the question to be asked is why, especially when such falsehoods can easily be identified. So, why do the Igbo persist in perpetuating a falsehood as a basis for their demand for justice?
Since this is not the first time where such a falsehood will become a foundation for a demand, it is necessary to interrogate this aspect of their praxis as it appears it forms part of their political coming into being, since the anti-colonial period, anchored on Zik’s proclamation as to the Igbo being destined by the gods of Africa to liberate Africans from the barbarism of the ages. Part of this predestination was the attempt by Zik himself to perpetuate a falsehood for his own political purposes, a prime example of which was his claim that he or his party the NCNC won the 1951 elections into the Western Regional House of Assembly. It was a falsehood carried over by his associates and followers, including Chinua Achebe who claimed to have been an eye-witness to the “carpet crossing” and others like Mathew Mbu and K.O Mbadiwe. As part of “ooduapathfinder’s” efforts to address some of these falsehoods, we begin with the 1951 Western Regional Elections where a veteran journalist, Felix Adenaike was able to put the elections in perspective, in a detailed manner, hence the following report whose background facts can also be found in “Awo or Zik—Who won the 1951 Western Nigeria Elections”, a book by Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu(available at Amazon.com).[/b]

“Dr. Mbu said of that election held on 24 September 1951 that: “Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was betrayed by the Western Region of Nigeria, not by the electorate, but by the leaders. The NCNC won the election against the Action Group (led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo), but the Action Group introduced what was unknown to Nigerian history”, namely, “carpet crossing. They Action Group bought members of the NCNC to join the Action Group after these people had won election on the platform of the NCNC. Zik, the leader of a majority party in the Western Region became the Leader of Opposition overnight”.
Reminded by the interviewer that the late Chief AMA Akinloye had maintained in his lifetime that he and his group had contested the election on a neutral platform from the NCNC, Dr. Mbu said: “That is his version… He is entitled to say what he wants to say. I don’t want to say ill of the dead.. He knew he was NCNC and his group was NCNC. Adelabu remained NCNC. He stuck on to NCNC till he died”.

The late Dr. Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe said in his autobiography, “Rebirth of a nation”, among others that: “But in pursuance of the policy of creating a political climate healthy enough to make one a citizen wherever he lived, Dr. Azikiwe contested and won the general elections in 1951 into the Western House of Assembly. To stultify this policy of one Nigeria in favor of his tribally-based philosophy, Chief Awolowo got some elected members to cross carpet from the NCNC to his AG side. Zik the victor lost. And Awolowo’s party was able to form the government of the Western Region.”
At a news conference in Lagos on 20 September 1989, more than two years after Chief Awolowo’s death, Dr. Mbadiwe returned to the topic saying: “Dr. Azikiwe and his party won the majority of seats in the Western House of Assembly. He was due to be elected the Leader of Government Business, when overnight, the Action Group introduced the notorious carpet-crossing. By this manipulation, members who won under the NCNC crossed over to the Action Group building it to become the majority party in the West. As a result of this, Chief Awolowo was elected Leader of Government Business and Dr. Azikiwe had to resign.”

Neither Dr. Mbu nor Dr. Mbadiwe named the members of the NCNC who contested the election on the party’s platform and later joined the Action Group to enable Chief Awolowo form the government to the exclusion of Dr. Azikiwe. These are weighty allegations such that they would have assisted their readers to clear the issues rather just repeat their own version of the events at that time in the hope that such repetitions would turn falsehood into facts.
To avert conflicting claims over candidates, Mr. Harold Cooper, the Government Public Relations Officer, wrote to the parties to furnish a list of the candidates contesting election on their platforms. Only the Action Group complied with this request and its list of candidates was as follows: Ijebu Remo Division – Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole; Ijebu Ode Division – S.O. Awokoya, Rev. S.A. Banjo and V.D. Phillips; Oyo Division – Chief Bode Thomas, Abiodun Akerele, A.B.P. Martins, T.A. Amao and SB Eyitayo; Osun Division – SL Akintola, JO Adigun, JO Oroge, S.I. Ogunwale, I…A. Adejare, J.A. Ogunmuyiwa and S.O. Ola; Ondo Division – P.A. Ladapo and G.A. Deko; Okitipupa Division – Dr. L.B. Lebi, CA Tewe and SO Tubo; Epe Division – SL Edu, AB Gbajumo, Obafemi Ajayi and C.A. Williams; Ikeja Division – O. Akeredolu-Ale, SO Gbadamosi and FO Okuntola; Badagry Division – Chief CD Akran, Akinyemi Amosu and Rev. GM Fisher; Egba Division – J.F. Odunjo, Alhaji A.T. Ahmed, CPA Cole, Rev S.A. Daramola, Akintoye Tejuoso, SB Sobande, IO Delano and A Adedamola.

The others were as follows: Egbado Division – J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi, Adebiyi Adejumo, A. Akin Illo and P.O. Otegbeye; Ife Division – Rev S.A. Adeyefa, D.A. Ademiluyi, J.O. Opadina, and S.O. Olagbaju; Ekiti Division – E.A. Babalola, Rev. J Ade Ajayi, S.K. Familoni, S.A. Okeya and D Atolagbe; Owo Division – Michael Adekunle Ajasin, A.O. Ogedengbe, JA Agunloye, LO Omojola and R.A. Olusa; Western Ijaw Division – Pere EH Sapre-Obi and MF Agidee; Ishan Division – Anthony Enahoro; Urhobo Division – WE Mowarin, J.B. Ohwinbiri and JD Ifode; Warri Division – Arthur Prest and O. Otere, and Kukuruku Division – D.J.I. Igenuma.
Of the names on the list, only MA Ajasin from Owo Division, which comprised Akoko then, did not run because of party solidarity and unity in Owo. He stood down for A.O. Ogedengbe and R.A. Olusa to contest two of the three seats, which they won, while D.K. Olumofin won the third for the NCNC. Three secretaries of the Action Group, who ran as independents and won were: Alhaji D.S. Adegbenro, Egba Division; J.O. Osuntokun, Ekiti Division and S.O. Hassan, Epe Division.

At the close of polls on 24 September 1951, the Action Group had won 38 of the 72 seats in contention in the Regional Assembly. There were a total of 80 seats. Lagos had five seats in the West Regional Assembly all won by the NCNC in the election of 20 November 1951, while Benin had three won by Otu Edo candidates in the election of 6 December 1951. The poll had been postponed in Lagos and Benin following security concerns. Of the 68 candidates on the list furnished by the Action Group to the Government PR Department, 38 of the elected AG members were from that list. And they were as follows: Ijebu Remo – Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole; Ijebu Ode – Rev. SA Banjo and S.O. Awokoya; Oyo – Bode Thomas, Abiodun Akerele, ABP Thomas, TA Amao and SB Eyitayo; Osun – S.L. Akintola, J.O. Adigun, JA Oroge, S.I. Ogunwale, I.A. Adejare, J.A. Ogunmuyiwa and S.O. Ola.
Other elected AG members from the list were: Egba – J.F. Odunjo, Alhaji AT Ahmed, Rev. S.A. Daramola and Prince Adedamola; Egbado (now Yewa) – J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi and A. Akin Illo; Ekiti – E.A. Babalola and Rev. J. Ade-Ajayi; Badagry – Chief CD Akran and Rev. G.M. Fisher; Ikeja – SO Gbadamosi and O Akeredolu-Ale; Ife – Rev. SA Adeyefa and SO Olagbaju; Owo – AO Ogedengbe and RA Olusa; Epe – Safi Lawal Edu; Okitipupa – C.A. Tewe; Western Ijaw – M.F. Agidee; Ishan – Anthony Enahoro, and Warri – Arthur Prest.

In addition to the Action Group and the NCNC, there were local/divisional parties such as the Ibadan People’s Party (IPP), led by Chief AMA Akinloye; Ondo Improvement League, and Otu Edo of Benin. At the end of poll, the standing of the parties was as follows: Action Group 38; NCNC/Independents 25; IPP 6 and Ondo Improvement League 2. Otu Edo candidates won the three Benin seats, namely, Chief SO Ighodaro, Chief Humphrey Omo-Osagie and Chief Chike Ekwuyasi. Chief Ighodaro opted for the AG, while the latter two went to the NCNC. And of the six IPP elected members, only Adegoke Adelabu joined the NCNC. The rest of them: AMA Akinloye, Chief DT Akinbiyi (who later became the Olubadan of Ibadan), Chief SO Lanlehin, Moyosore Aboderin and SA Akinyemi, opted for the Action Group. The NCNC National Secretary, the late Chief Kola Balogun had sent declaration forms to the IPP assemblymen asking them to declare for the NCNC but Chief Akinloye returned all the forms uncompleted.
The three AG secretaries who had run as independents – Adegbenro, Osuntokun and Hassan, five IPP members, one Etu Edo, and one Ondo Improvement League, Chief F.O. Awosika; and Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola (Independent, Ijebu Ode) had swollen the number of the AG elected members. All the transactions had taken place before the inauguration of the Regional Assembly on 7 January 1952. These were not known members of the NCNC, nor did the party publish their names on the list of its candidates, but claimed them as its “members, supporters or sympathizers” , according to inimitable Zik in his “My Odyssey”. It takes more than speculation to claim a person as a member of your political party. You cannot just be under the “impression” as Zik had claimed that they were and go ahead to field them as electoral candidates. For over a half century, the NCNC is yet to provide evidence to back its claim that it had won the West Regional election in 1951.

Mr Cooper absolved his department of responsibility for the controversy generated by the NCNC after the election. At a post election news conference in Lagos he said that “Of the winning candidates, the names of 38 were on the list sent to me by the Action Group. The six successful candidates at Ibadan were all among those who had been identified to me as representing the Ibadan People’s Party. No claim of any kind had reached us about the party affiliation of the remaining successful candidates.” Why did the NCNC not send a list of its candidates for the poll to the Government PR Department before that poll? And why have Dr. Mbu and the others not published the list of NCNC candidates to substantiate their electoral victory claim in over 50 years but merely kept reaping false claims? The records of the poll conducted in the West and all over Nigeria by the colonial administration are available at the National Archives and can be accessed by any honest researcher. In this matter, it is facts that speak, not what some political/ethnic partisan said or did not say.

Dr Azikiwe’s frustration was not only in losing the regional election, he also lost the election to the House of Representatives held on 10 January 1951 at the House of Assembly, Ibadan, among NCNC members. The total tally for the 1951 poll in the 80-member Western Regional Assembly was as follows: Action Group 38; Independent/ AG 15; NCNC 24; Independent/ NCNC 3. Three members of the NCNC who had been elected to the House changed party allegiance that day ahead of the House of Representatives vote. They were: Chief SY Kesington-Momoh, JG Ako, and Awodi Orisaremi, from Urhobo and Kukuruku Divisions. They were running for the House of Representatives and wanted Action Group votes. Kesington-Momoh and Ako were elected, but Orisaremi went back to the NCNC. That was all the carpet-crossing that took place on 10 January 1952, namely, three at first to the AG and one back to the NCNC.

From the vote tally, it is clear that the NCNC and the Independent /NCNC totalling 27 seats altogether out of 80 seats could not have formed the Government of Western Nigeria. Even if the local/divisional parties had chosen the NCNC, it would still be some seats short of 41 required to form the government. The Action Group won 38 seats; its independent candidates – Adegbenro, Osuntokun, Hassan and Odutola won four seats making a total of 42 seats. The AG could have formed the government without the support of the other small parties. It did not have to “bribe” anybody to join it to form the government. Since politics is a game of number, only few principled politicians would not be disposed to joining the winning party, in this case, the AG.
Dr. Mbadiwe also claimed in his book: “Successful NCNC men who were not Yoruba were scared away. Dr. Azikiwe who won a seat to the Western House (of) Assembly from a Lagos constituency decided to resign. Since membership of the House of Representatives was by an electoral college in the regional house, no NCNC from the West came to the House of Representatives in Lagos”. This is blatantly false. Zik resigned because he lost election to the federal house from the West, while Prince Adeleke Adedoyin, Dr. Ibiyinka Olorun-Nimbe, Chief Frank Oputa-Otutu, Chief Denis Osadebey and Sir Odeleye Fadahunsi were elected from Ibadan to Lagos. Whoever scared non-Yoruba NCNC people from the West? Chief Denis Osadebey succeeded Adegoke Adelabu as Opposition Leader in the West and the likes of Humphrey Omo-Osagie, Festus Okotie-Eboh, Chike Ekwuyasi, Fidelis H Utomi, Obi Osagie, Yamu Numa, GO Oweh and GB Ometan were non-Yoruba NCNC in that Assembly. “