There is no denying the fact that the Yoruba race has produced many flamboyant and charismatic politicians who have made their impacts felt on the nation’s political scene. However, many of the politicians who currently call the shot in the area are anything but charismatic, writes BAYO OLADEJI.
Until recently, the South- West had always enjoyed the emergence of political gladiators whose speeches were laced with colour and eloquence, often rendered with great admiration and respect, especially on the political theatre.
From pre-independence era when two political parties – The Action Group (AG) led by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the National Council for Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) under the leadership of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe berthed, there had never been a dearth of these oratory gladiators.
Colourful politicians who for instance identified with the Great Zik of Africa as Azikiwe was fondly called, included the following: Chief Samuel Akinsanya, Chief H.O.Davies, Chief Adegoke Adelabu (a.k.a) Penkelemesi, Prince Adeleke Adedoyin, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Chief TOS Benson, Chief Adeniran Ogunkoya, Chief S.O.Fajinmi, Prince Alade Lamuye, who was deputy minister of finance during the First Republic.
Like the Zik group, the Awolowo camp too was not bereft of its elegant politicians with robust oratory prowess. It paraded its first 11 led by the late Awolowo’s estranged deputy, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, who was widely regarded and respected for his oratorical prowess; Chief A.M.A Akinloye; Chief M.A Ajasin; Barrister Abraham Adesanya; Chief Bola Ige; Ayo Fasanmi; Ayo Adebanjo; Jonathan Odebiyi; Tunji Otegbeye; Chief Ayo Rosiji; Chief Remi Fani-Kayode; Chief Ayo Rosiji, Chief O.B. Akin-Olugbade; Chief F.R.A Williams; Lateef Jakande, R.O.A Akinjide; Josiah Olawoyin and Bisi Onabanjo (a.k.a) Ayekoto.
Awolowo was a politician who did not suffer fools gladly. He operated as the leader of the opposition in a hostile environment and was always ready to demonstrate sufficient self-esteem and guts to pick up whatever gauntlets was thrown at him with equal abandon and proportion as they landed before him.
In an instance, the then Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and former Chief Justice, Adetokunbo Ademola had publicly attacked Awolowo at a dinner in honour of Azikiwe as the Governor General of Nigeria. Adetokunbo Ademola had reportedly accused Awolowo of opposing whatever came his way, prompting the then Prime Minister to deride him as someone who labeled himself leader of the opposition.
But replying the Chief Justice, Awolowo pointed out that in a dynamic society and in politics, “There was always something for thinking people to oppose. However, the business of the opposition in a democracy was something totally beyond the comprehension of our Chief Justice.
Otherwise, he would not have spoken the way he did. It was better if he kept his wits within the Bench, so as to avoid behaving like a fish out of water.”? In reply to Sir Abubakar, the sage recalled, “I said I did not call myself the Leader of the Opposition.
It was the electorate of Nigeria who decided the place I then occupied in the affairs of the country. Besides, in regard to the occasion that we were celebrating, it was an irony that Sir Abubakar occupied the office of Prime Minister.
Because, it was on record that it was only recently that he was persuaded to embrace and support the demand by Nigerians and African nationalists …that Nigeria should become an independent Sovereign State.”?
Awolowo was respected for his views on all issues, for example on violence, he said, “Violence never settles anything right: Apart from injuring your own soul, it injures the best cause. It lingers on… long after the object of hate has disappeared from the scene to plague the lives of those who have employed it against their foes”.
Hear him again on his thoughts for the nation. “Nigeria is not a nation. It is a mere geographical expression. There are no ‘Nigerians’ in the same sense as there are ‘English,’ ‘Welsh,’ or ‘French.’ The word ‘Nigerian’ is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria and those who do not.” [From Path to Nigerian Freedom by Obafemi Awolowo]
But to the political adversaries at home, it was his deputy who always confronted them with the oratorical prowess of his tongue. He was said to have had the right words to silence the likes of Adegoke Adelabu who once described the policy of the then government led by the AG as a “peculiar mess.” Illiterates and barely literate People literally turned his description of the AG government as “Penkelemesi.”
At the Covenant University Library, visitors are ushered into the hall with one of Awolowo’s quotable quotes, “Any person that is starved with books, especially the right type of books, will suffer intellectual malnutrition, stagnation and atrophy.”
Awolowo was no doubt a thorn in the flesh of the Balewa’s administration while it lasted, but with constructive criticisms. Interestingly, the then Military President, Ibrahim Babangida once disclosed his admiration for the sage, especially with his ability to proffer alternative solution to whatever government policy he criticised.
It is partly against this background that IBB described Awolowo popularly called Awo as the ‘‘main issue of Nigerian politics.’’ This regrettably is a major missing gap on the political scene today.
A press statement made by the Action Group Federal Headquarters in Lagos titled, “African Unity Is A Necessity,” on June 28, 1961, Awolowo declared inter alia, “…the points already made can bear elaborate expatiation. But I think I have said enough to enable any right-thinking person to arrive at the conclusion that, barring a handful of countries on the continent, Africa is still as ever, under Western imperialist bondage.”
However, the internal squabbles of the AG as a result of the alleged rebellion of Akintola against the leadership of Awolowo who had vacated the Premier seat for him to become the opposition leader in the Federal House of Representatives, weakened the political prowess of the AG, as its domination of the West was broken with the formation of the Nigerian Democratic Party (NDP) led by Akintola.
Those that defected with him included: Akinloye, Akinjide, Fani-Kayode, Chief J.O Oshuntokun, Chief Biodun Ogundiran, N.A.B. Kotoye, Oba C.D. Akran, and a few others. They teamed up with the NPC to form the NNDP which contested the election of 1965 and ushered in the historic “Operation wetie” over alleged massive rigging.
As an aftermath of the post-election crises, Awolowo and 10 others were convicted for treasonable felony. The list included: Chief Tony Enahoro, Lateef Jakande, Omisade, Onitiri, Sasore, Ebietoma, Nwaobiala, S.A. Otubanjo, S.J. Umoren and S. Oyesile.
The emergence of the youthful Head of State, Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon, however led to the release of all political prisoners, including Awolowo on August 2, 1966. Although Awolowo became the Vice Chairman of the Gowon Cabinet and Federal Commissioner of Finance but nothing significant was mentioned of his lieutenants until in 1978, when politics began again.
However, by the time the Second Republic kicked off, it became crystal clear that Awolowo was still keeping his political camp; as 24 hours after the ban was lifted on political activities, Awolowo was already in Lagos, addressing the press, where he announced the formation of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).
Expectedly, there were new alignments, as most of the leading politicians who were with Akintola joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), and those that were with Azikiwe again joined the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP), while the mainstream Yoruba embraced the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).
Those with Azikiwe included, but were not limited to the following: Babatunde Edu, Adeniran Ogunsanya and Chief T.O.S. Benson. The NPN had some powerful and influencing politicians which included its National Chairman, Chief A.M.A Akinloye, Soji Odunjo, Alani Bankole,? Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, Chief Richard Akinjide, Victor Olunloyo, and Afolabi Oyeleke Agboola.
Interestingly, Awolowo’s UPN still paraded the first 11 in the likes of Lateef Jakande, Bola Ige, Sunday Olawoyin, Cornelius Adebayo,? Bisi Onabanjo, Adekunle Ajasin, Akin Omoboriowo, Arch Emmanuel? Alayande, Ayo Fasanya, Prof. Banji Akintoye, Senator J.O.A Odebiyi, Alhaji Sikiru Shitta-Bey and Senator Cornelius Adebayo who later became the governor of Kwara State.
Among the UPN governors, Jakande was rated as the best, hence the nickname, Baba Kekere (Junior Awo) but fire spitting Bola Ige was politically ahead of them all.
His critics accused him of making the inflammatory statement that led to the ‘operation Wetie.’ Chief Ebenezer Babatope was the Director of Organisation for the UPN and whoever spoke ill of Awolowo was lambasted.
While it is on record that Awolowo did not expel anyone from the party, those who got tired of remaining in the camp however defected to the opposition. These included, Chief Sunday Afolabi and Chief Akin Omoboriowo, Busari Adelakun, and a few others who defected to the NPN over the 1983 party primaries.
Reacting to their defection at a political rally in Ibadan, Awolowo said both Afolabi and Omoboriowo with Adelakun were not up to one thumb of his estranged deputy, Akintola whose defection did nothing to his political dynasty.
He thus concluded that just as they tore their membership card of the UPN, so also would their lives be torn into pieces!
But on the opposition side, people like Akinloye,? Akinjide and later? Omoboriowo and? Afolabi (after their defection to the NPN) were very colourful on the soap box. Recall it was Akinjide that popularised the “12, 2/3 formula” that made Alhaji Shehu Shagari the president in 1979. Akinjide was rewarded with the juicy position of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in Shagari’s first term.
However, he lost the plum job during the second term because he lost the Shugaba Abdurahaman case. Shugaba was deported to Chad as an alien by the NPN Presidency but Awolowo mobilised a team of lawyers under the leadership of G.O.K Ajayi to bring him back to the country despite the fact that Shugaba was a member of the Great Nigerian People’s Party (GNPP).?
Awolowo was a journalist’s delight, especially whenever he spoke on the political scene. He had the word and he knew how and when to use it. Making reference to his failure to be president of Nigeria in spite of several attempts , he declared, “My glory is not in ever falling but in rising each time I fall.”
However, by the time the Babangida political experimentation kicked off, the sage, had passed on in 1987, thus closing the page for the Yoruba mainstream political class, which had obviously lost a rare gem.
Ajasin took over the baton supported by Adesanya while Ige was using his column in Nigerian Tribune to pour invectives on the anti-Yoruba forces.? Ajasin was not a man of many words, but once he spoke, the nation shook to its foundation and the late Gen. Sani Abacha regime heaved a sigh of relief at his demise.?
Ajasin once said of the nation’s style of governance, “Our federalism is upside down. We are not practicing federalism in Nigeria.” If the political class had listened to him, for instance, the problem of lopsidedness in the polity would have become history.
After his death, it was the turn of the Ijebu- Igbo- born lawyer, late Adesanya to lead the Yoruba race. But the problem of the Yoruba around this time had to do with its mainstream that had decided to boycott the political transition programme.
Adesanya was a senator during the era of? Shagari. In one of his remarks, he had observed that, “The trouble in Africa is that there is the disease of tenacity of office, you want to remain there until you die. If you don’t die young or after two years in office, the country is in trouble, because you are going to do all within your power, legitimate or illegitimate, to remain in power.
That is an act of ignorance, an act of self perpetuation in office. A representative of government doesn’t allow for that kind of a thing. A good government should be changed peacefully and the whole game of politics should be a game of sports where the loser shake-hands with the winner. We do indulge in sports in Nigeria. We do not quarrel about sports, so there must be sportsman’s man spirit in representative democracy.”
In another instance, he stated, “Government that does not share the hopes and aspirations of the people will always steal.”
Adesanya’s soul mate, Ayo Adebanjo once made this revealing remark too, “Let me make something clear: the Yoruba do not have to be part of the central/federal government. We believe in true federalism. We believe in restructuring.
We believe in a Sovereign National Conference so that we can return to true federalism where the component units will be strong and grow at their own pace. That is our credo, the foundation of our principles, our ideology. That was what Awo taught us. That is not opposition. ’’
In Oyo State, Ige had defeated his colleague at the bar,? Akinjide at the general election and was sworn in as governor on October 1, 1979. At a political debate between him and Akinjide, Ige said the people should vote him in order to enjoy the free education Awolowo gave them, but Akinjide faulted him, saying those who benefitted from the Awolowo’s free education were robbers with no job to do. Ige countered him, reminding him that some members of his family benefitted and tasked him to name those who were armed robbers within his family! This provoked Akinjide who walked out of the live broadcast studio.
Again, when Abacha’s teleguided five political parties moved to endorse him for the Presidency, Ige dismissed them as “five fingers of a leprous hand.” Towards the end, he joined the June 12 struggle camp.
Recall that during the Abacha transition a new breed of politicians were in charge in the South-West and it was during this period that money politics was introduced since there was no political leader to manage the scene. Those who could not afford money politics or become the apologists of the khaki boys boycotted the transition programme.
Those that could? be regarded as colourful politicians during this era include Bode Olajumoke of the famous Imeri Group, Muyiwa Oladimeji, Otunba Christopher Omisore,? Babatope, Chief Mobolaji Osomo, Adedibu, Alhaji Azeez Arisekola Alao, Chief Abiola Ogundokun, Chief Dosu Oladipo, Alhaji Hammed Kusamotu. They were political allies of the then number two man, Gen. Donaldson Oladipo Diya (before he parted ways with Abacha over a phantom coup).
But most people see them as the betrayal of the people’s mandate given to Abiola.
By the time the Abdusalami Abubakar political transition kicked off, the Afenifere had bounced back because of the role it played in the June 12 struggle even when its platform did not merit being registered for the general election, yet the rule was bent for them.
But because they did not have financial muscle to battle the military, they had to present a mixed grill of candidates in all the elections on the platform of Alliance For Democracy (AD).
But the camp became polarised when Ige lost the presidential ticket to Falae. The aftermath set the stage for the PDP to take over the south-West states except Lagos.
The demise of Ajasin,? Ige and later, Adesanya was to create the conservative bloc under the leadership of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, until Asiwaju Bola Tinubu revived the AD, renamed ACN and today, the party has dislodged the PDP from Yoruba land.
Interestingly, Nigerians would also not hurriedly forget the youthful presidential spokesman, Femi Fani-Kayode who was the armour- bearer to President Obasanjo. He took after his father who was the Deputy Premier in the old Western Region. Whoever dared to insult or attack his principal faced the wrath of his caustic tongue.?
His presence around Obasanjo silenced most of his critics and cynics. This was because once he received briefs from his boss, Femi would return fire-for-fire. In fairness to him, he did not attack or abuse anyone who did not first take Obasanjo to the cleaners.
Afolabi too was another fire spitting politician from the zone. It was Afolabi who reminded Ige that he had no right to abuse PDP who asked him to “come and eat,” as a minister.?
In summary the drought of colourful politicians today from the South-West is as a result of so many factors and these include but not limited to the following, money politics which is alien to the race, some people that could make a difference could not afford the cost of running an election of today.
The place of god-fathers is another factor as the race does not see any of those parading themselves as god fathers worth following; imposition of candidates by the former governors has also discouraged a lot of people from participating in the electioneering process.
In Yoruba land, typical of the norm in the entire country, governors impose their cronies on the people as candidates to be voted for and any attempt to run against the anointed candidates is considered a grave offense.
Though some analysts have held that there are still a few charismatic and colourful politicians in contemporary Yoruba land, the truth the number is infinitesimal to the array of eloquent politicians in the first and second republics.
Observers say the drought will continue unless the zone returns to the pre-independence era when the system allowed for the emergence of thinking politicians and not necessarily money bags as seen in today Nigeria.