Herbert Macaulay, Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀, Samuel Ládòkè Akíntọ́lá and Adégòkè Adélabú, the men who built Nigerian party politics out of Lagos and the Western Region between 1923 and 1966.
The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, oríkì, ẹsẹ Ifá, word list headwords, Odù names and citations dey exactly as the corpus record dem, for every language.
Party politics for Nigeria start for Lagos for 1923 and grow well for Western Region for di 1950s, and na Yoruba men lead both periods well-well. Herbert Macaulay form di first Nigerian political party; Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀ build di first mass party wey get programme wey dem deliver, run Western Region for six years and become di Nigerian person wey people argue about pass for di century; Samuel Ládòkè Akíntọ́lá separate from am and carry di region enter di wahala wey end First Republic; and Adégòkè Adélabú show say di ordinary people wey plenty pass for Ìbàdàn na political force on their own. Dis file cover dis four people. Di June 12 wahala and di people after 1966 dey inside di two files wey follow.
Small talk on how dis work take treat dem. Awólọ́wọ̀ and Akíntọ́lá still be live argument inside Yoruba houses sixty years after, and dis file just name di different positions instead of to settle dem. Where claim get contention, dem mark am as disputed.
Macaulay form di first political party for Nigerian history and na wetin make people dey call am di father of Nigerian nationalism, title wey overstate how far him politics reach and understate how fresh him method be.
Dem born am for Lagos on 14 November 1864 to Reverend Thomas Babington Macaulay, wey start CMS Grammar School, and Abigail Crowther, wey be pikin to Samuel Àjàyí Crowther, di first African Anglican bishop . Dis na di recaptive Sàró elite inside one family line: Africans wey gain freedom return from Sierra Leone, go mission school, bear English names, and by 1890s dey strongly oppose di colonial system wey their parents help build. Him go CMS Grammar School, work as clerk for Lagos Department of Public Works, and study civil engineering for Plymouth from 1891 to 1894, come back as one of di first Nigerian professional engineers and take work as colonial land inspector .
Him leave government work enter surveying, architecture and then journalism, come join form Lagos Daily News . Two cases make am popular. Di first one na di Apapa land case of 1913, where him carry di matter of Lagos landowners wey colonial government take their land forcefully go Privy Council for London and win big compensation increase, result wey make Lagos public see say dem fit defeat colonial state for inside their own law. Di second one na di Ẹlẹ́kò matter. When colonial government remove Ẹṣùgbàyí Ẹlẹ́kò, di Ọba of Lagos, for 1925, Macaulay pursue di case until Privy Council rule say di removal no follow law and dem return di Ọba back for 1931. Di point of di two struggle na di same: di authority of Lagos institutions na legal fact, no be colonial favor.
On 24 June 1923 him form Nigerian National Democratic Party, di first Nigerian political party, wey dem set up to contest di three elective Lagos seats wey di Clifford constitution of 1922 create . Di party win those seats for 1923, 1928 and 1933 . Di people wey qualify to vote small well-well, na only adult male residents wey get particular income level, and NNDP na Lagos political machine rather than national movement, but e set up di practices wey later parties follow: newspaper, ward organisation, list of candidates, and continuous campaign.
Younger and more radical generation later take over Macaulay career. For 1944 him join hand form National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons with Nnamdi Azikiwe and become di first president . Him fall sick during NCNC tour for Kano and die for Lagos on 7 May 1946, fourteen years before independence . Him face appear on top one naira note from 1979 to 1991 .
Awólọ́wọ̀ na di Nigerian politician wey get weight pass among those wey never lead Nigeria, and di argument about am no really be about him record, wey people don document well, but about wetin him politics mean for di whole country.
Dem born am on 6 March 1909 for Ìkẹnnẹ́ inside Rẹ́mọ, for wetin be Ògùn State today, to a farmer, and him lose him parents when him still small . Him go Baptist Boys' High School for Abẹ́òkúta and Wesley College, Ìbàdàn, come work as teacher, shorthand typist, newspaper reporter, produce buyer and transport operator . Him get Bachelor of Commerce from University of London as external student, go London go read law, and dem call am to bar for Inner Temple on 19 November 1946 . Di way him take struggle build himself matter for how people take look am: him no come from di Lagos Sàró elite and him never speak like say him belong there.
Him political training start for Nigerian Youth Movement, where him become Western Provincial Secretary . For London for 1945 him form Ẹgbẹ́ Ọmọ Odùduwà, Yoruba cultural association wey dem set up make traditional rulers and Western-educated people come together, and for 1947 him publish Path to Nigerian Freedom, di first solid Nigerian argument for federal constitution . Di federal argument na him signature and him never leave am: say di nationalities wey make up Nigeria na real things, say unitary state on top dem no go stable, and say federation of units wey get ethnic unity na di only form wey go last.
Him form Action Group for Ìbàdàn for 1951, build am on top Ẹgbẹ́'s networks, and become Leader of Government Business and then, from 1 October 1954 to 1 October 1960, di first Premier of Western Region .
Di record of dat gofmint na di strongest case for am. Dem start free and compulsory universal primary education for di whole Western Region for January 1955, ahead of any oda region and di federal gofmint . Number of children wey register for school for di region climb from 381,000 for 1952 reach 811,432 for 1955. Dem provide free healthcare for children, di first television service for Africa, WNTV Ìbàdàn, start broadcast for 1959, and di region build Liberty Stadium, di Cocoa House, plus big programme for rural electrification and road . Di way Yoruba region still dey lead for education for Nigeria today na directly because of wetin happen for dis ten years.
E dey important make dem talk plain how dem take get di money, because people wey dey admire am dey usually leave am out. Di money come from cocoa, wey dem collect through marketing board wey dey buy from farmers at fixed price wey low pass world market price, come keep di balance. Dat na transfer of money from rural producers go give di regional gofmint, and e really be heavy burden on di farmers wey bear am. Di Agbẹkọ̀ya revolt of 1968 to 1969, wen farmers across di west rise up against produce prices and taxation, na part of di same tori.
Awólọ́wọ̀ leave di region go federal politics for 1959, come turn Leader of the Opposition for federal parliament from 12 December 1959 . Action Group come split dat time. Im deputy Akíntọ́lá, wey im install as Premier, move towards working together with di northern-led federal gofmint; Awólọ́wọ̀ move go left, towards democratic socialism. For May 1962 di party crisis reach di floor of di Western House of Assembly as fight broke out, di federal gofmint declare state of emergency for di region come suspend dia gofmint, and commission of inquiry follow to investigate di region development corporation.
For November 1962 dem charge Awólọ́wọ̀ and oda people say dem plan to overthrow di federal gofmint by force. On 11 September 1963 dem convict am of treasonable felony come sentence am to ten years for prison . Im serve for Calabar prison and Gowon gofmint release and pardon am for August 1966 .
People dey drag di matter about di trial and di argument deep. Di prosecution bring out evidence of arms wey dem buy and training wey one group wey connect to di party youth wing do for abroad. Di defence and most Yoruba opinion later hold am say di charge na political weapon wey dem use remove di most effective opposition leader for di country, say di court process no straight, and say di sentence too heavy pass wetin happen. Person fit hold any of di two positions from wetin dey public record; dis corpus no dey judge between dem.
As dem release am for 1966, dem appoint am as Federal Commissioner for Finance and Vice-Chairman of di Federal Executive Council under Yakubu Gowon from 1967 to 1971, throughout di civil war . Im finance di war without significant borrowing from outside and na im people credit say name di naira . Two decisions from dat period still dey bring argument till today. Di first one na di currency change of 1968, wey make old Nigerian pound wey Biafran people hold useless. Di second one na di post-war ex gratia payment of twenty pounds to Biafran account holders no matter how much dem get for bank before. Awólọ́wọ̀ defend di two actions as steps against rebel war economy; critics, including many Igbo commentators, describe dem as deliberate plan to impoverish people. Im also defend di blockade of Biafra without soft words, say starvation na proper weapon of war. Dat statement dey on record and na major part of how people outside di west dey remember am.
Im found di Unity Party of Nigeria for 1978 come contest for president for 1979 and 1983, losing di two to Shehu Shagari . Di 1979 result depend on how dem interpret di rule to win one quarter of di votes for two-thirds of di nineteen states, one dispute wey Supreme Court settle give Shagari on grounds wey di court talk say make dem no take as precedent.
Im die for Ìkẹnnẹ́ on 9 May 1987 . Im published works include Path to Nigerian Freedom (1947), Awo: The Autobiography of Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1960), Thoughts on Nigerian Constitution (1966), The People's Republic (1968) and The Strategy and Tactics of the People's Republic of Nigeria (1970).
Di argument wey remain get three parts. Whether im federalism na principled constitutional theory or na ethnic strategy wey dem just wear constitutional dress. Whether wetin Western Region achieve justify di extractive fiscal method wey pay for dem. And whether how im handle federal finance during di civil war na legitimate wartime policy or ethnic punishment. One fourth question dey wey di first three dey usually cover: na im be di only Nigerian politician of im generation wey person fit check im promises against real schools wey dem actually build, and na why di argument take dey last so.
Akíntọ́lá na di counter-case to Awólọ́wọ̀ inside Yoruba politics, and for most Yoruba accounts na im be di villain of di First Republic. Di judgement no be wetin everybody agree with and di reason behind im position deserve make dem state am.
Dem born am on 10 July 1910 for Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́ . Im train as teacher, work as clerk and later as journalist, wey edit di Daily Service, study law for England come be called to the bar, before im return for 1949 . Im dey among di founders of Action Group, serve as di party deputy leader, be Leader of the Opposition for federal House of Representatives during di 1950s and hold federal ministerial posts including Minister of Health and Minister of Communications and Aviation . Im hold di traditional title of Aare Ọ̀nà Kakanfò XIII, di Yoruba generalissimo title .
Wen Awólọ́wọ̀ go federal parliament for 1959, Akíntọ́lá con become Premier of Western Region. Di separation happen over strategy matter. Wetin Akíntọ́lá's stand on na say Western Region no fit develop if dem dey permanently for opposition for centre, say North go hold federal power for long time wey dey come, and say West suppose join di federal coalition make dem take part inside am. Wetin Awólọ́wọ̀'s stand on na say to dey opposition based on national programme na di only way to change how federation dey work, and say any party wey join Northern coalition, di coalition go just absorb am. Di dispute na over political strategy pass any oda tin, and na real strategic disagreement instead of just ordinary betrayal, no mata wetin di outcome con turn out to be.
Di party comot Akíntọ́lá as deputy leader for 1962 and di Regional Governor sack am as Premier. Di Assembly sitting wey dem call make dem confirm say dem comot am scatter enter fight, federal government declare state of emergency on 29 May 1962, and afta di emergency dem bring Akíntọ́lá back as Premier . Im form United People's Party and leta Nigerian National Democratic Party, wey join hand wit northern NPC.
Di regional election of October 1965 scatter di region. Opposition and most observers reject di result wey dem declare for Akíntọ́lá's NNDP say na wayo . Wetin follow na wetin people dey remember as Wétìé, from di Yoruba way to say "wet him", wey be di habit to pour petrol on top political opponents and set dem on fire. Di region no fit dey governed again throughout late 1965 enter January 1966. Dem kill Akíntọ́lá for im Ìbàdàn house on 15 January 1966 for di first military coup . Di way di coup collapse and di counter-coup of July 1966 lead straight to di pogrom against Igbo people for north and to di civil war.
Adélabú dey important because na im be di one major Yoruba politician dat time wey no come from professional class and no build im base on top dem.
Dem born am for Ìbàdàn on 3 September 1915 . Im go school for Government College Ìbàdàn and Yaba Higher College, work as produce inspector and cooperative officer, and enter politics through Ìbàdàn Peoples Party, wey win regional assembly seats for 1951 . Afta dat, im carry di Ìbàdàn organisation enter NCNC and become secretary of di party Western Working Committee, wey make Ìbàdàn di only place for Western Region wey Action Group no fit win comfortably .
Im base na di Ìbàdàn majority common people against di resident Ìjẹ̀bú and Ẹ̀gbá traders and professional class and against di traditional chiefs establishment, na class and city politics instead of ethnic one. Im serve as Federal Minister of Natural Resources and Social Services from 1955 to 1956 and as leader of opposition for Western Regional Assembly . Im publish Africa in Ebullition for 1952, one manifesto of radical nationalism and socialism wey im write for im own special and heavy grammar English .
Di nickname Pẹnkẹlẹmẹ́sì na di tin wey people know pass about am. Im describe one political situation as "peculiar mess", and im Yoruba-speaking audience carry di unfamiliar English phrase enter Yoruba pronunciation as pẹnkẹlẹmẹ́sì, wey stick to am and leta enter di language as general word for big confusion and palava . Dis change na small case study of how Yoruba language dey absorb English.
Im die on 25 March 1958 for motor accident wen im dey return from Lagos . Im death cause many days of riot for Ìbàdàn wey im supporters attack Action Group members and property and plenty people die, wey show how im followers attach directly to am as person.
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Cultural nationalism and the African church movement, the Abẹ́òkúta women's revolt, Awólọ́wọ̀ and the Western Region, the Yoruba in the Nigerian federation, and the present revival of interest in traditional knowledge.
An account of the life, policy initiatives, federalist theory, and wartime actions of Obáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀, distinguishing administrative documentation from contested political claims.
A method note explaining what kind of evidence exists for Yoruba figures from the earliest traditions to 1900, why the oldest names cannot be treated as documented biography, and how this section marks the difference.
The figure at the root of Yoruba dynastic claims, the several incompatible traditions about who or what Òdùduwà was, the conflict with Ọbàtálá at Ilé-Ifẹ̀, and what archaeology and historians can and cannot establish.
The figure credited in tradition with founding both Ọ̀yọ́ and the second Benin dynasty, what the traditions say, where they conflict, and why the stone monolith bearing his name cannot date him.