by Leye Ige

Ralph Uwechue, the newly installed president of Ohanaeze gave a speech to the Confederation of Igbo Students on the third anniverssary of Igbo Students' Renaissance Day. Throughout the speech, he sought to explain what he saw as "the misunderstanding" of attempts by the Igbo at nation-building. I am taking issues with him because the speech was full of half-truths and attempts to turn history on its head. I need to state that I am Yoruba, but my critique is not based on any sentiments but rooted in historical issues which can be refuted, with evidence. In doing this, I will not reharsh the various woes that befall that geo-poltical entity called Nigeria, as I am sure readers are well versed in these.

It is trite to state that nation-states embody socio-cultural values upon which political and economic models are built. The dominant economic models in turn arise out of competing forces both within and outside the nation-state. Hence, the dissolution of empires and the feudal economies when the forward march of economic advancement was no longer tenable to their existence. In all of these, the socio-cultural milleu provided the impetus and enhanced those changes. Of course, "socio-cultural" is being used in its widest sense to include intellectual, literary, cultural--- arts, music etc----- productive capacities. Nation-states are not founded on wishes, and definitely not on lies. I know that Ralph Uwechue was part of the Biafra war propaganda machine and its attendant subscription to the idea that oft repeated lies will assume the nature of truth, forgetting that this can only happen when there is no standard bearer for truth. Ralph Uwechue stated in the speech thus: "Such was the extent of their success that Zik was poised, after the regional election of 1951, but for a last minute hitch, to become the premier of the Western Region, the home ground of the Yoruba Nation. The party which he led, the NCNC and its allies (emphasis mine) won a majority of seats in the Western House of Assembly". Several Igbo writers, and some lazy non-Igbo writers have peddled this lie; including, very recently, Sam Omatseye of the Nation newspaper. But is it true?

Read what Felix Adenaike, a long time journalist, wrote about it, in response to Mathew Mbu, who also peddled the lie.

"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 favour 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 sympathisers", 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

.(emphasis mine) 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.(emphasis mine) 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. Who ever 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. "

Ralph Uwechue, or whoever is able to, should be kind enough to prove the contrary to the above.

As far as Ralph is concerned, the Igbo also took the following decisions in favor of "nation-building": The Igbo-led NCNC agreed with the northern NPC to "delay" regional self-government and independence because the north was not "ready"; the NCNC allied itself with the NPC in "order to consolidate the frail and insipid attachment of a wary and sceptical north to southern Nigeria"; an Igbo officer in Lagos refused to support the Nzeogwu group, an act that led to Nzeogwus' failure, etc etc.

It will be recalled that the period under discussion was a period of intense attempts at decolonization, so if a section of the country was not "ready", what does that say about the perception, the philosophical capacity and indeed the humainty of those who made such a proclamation? Recall also that those who were not ready for independence were ready to control Nigeria! The issue therefore is not one of readiness or not, but a calculated scheme to be in control of power, divided or rotated between the NPC and the NCNC. Nation states arise out of a mix of socio-cultural experiences, the development of the society via the development of "man" in that society becomes the grundnorm; so when a leadership says that its people are not ready for emancipation, that leadreship is denying the inherent atrributes of such a people to utilise their God-given rights to utilise their environment for their own good. For the Zik-led Igbo to kowtow to such anti-human proposal under the cover of "nation-building" is, to say the least, amusing.

The Fulani were ready to take over Kanuri Nation until a military stalemate forced a modus vivendi on them; they were ready to take over the Yoruba Nation until they met their waterloo at Osogbo; Zik's, and the NCNC's expolits have been treated above; so the question is, how come those who were ready for all of these were suddenly not ready to let the British go? The only sensible answer is to be found in the fact that they wanted to perfect their plans for the take-over of Yorubaland; they needed the British to provide the cover by "delaying" independence; and this mission has been pursued relentlessly over time. This continued falsification of history is an aspect of it.

Sentiments about "Nigeria" abound; but most of those who express these sentiments cannot or have not been able to accept historical reality. Until this is done, there will be no Nigeria. The problem in Africa, since the "wind of change," had been the national question. This is why every little problem becomes easily transformed into ethno-national conflicts, depending on the configuration of political power. All armed insurections on the continent are largely quests for a resolution of this question and until this is done, there will be no "Nigeria", including what is referred to as "southern solidarity".

Robot  # 1 | 30.12.2008 02:22

by Leye Ige Ralph Uwechue, the newly installed president of Ohanaeze gave a speech to the Confederation of Igbo Students on the third anniverssary of Igbo Students' Renaissance Day. Throughout the speech, he sought to explain what he saw as "the misunderstanding" of attempts by the Igbo at nation-building. I am taking issues with him because the speech was full of half-truths and attempts to turn history on its head. I need to state that I am Yoruba, but my critique is not based on any sentiments but rooted in historical issues which can be refuted, with evidence. In doing this, I will not reharsh the various woes that befall that geo-poltical entity called Nigeria, as I am sure readers are well versed in these. It is trite to state that nation-states embody socio-cultural values upon which political and economic models are built. The dominant economic models in turn arise out of competing forces both within an...Read the full article.

WallaceBobo  # 2 | 30.12.2008 04:10

First time I'm hearing this. Interesting....

Lovenest  # 3 | 30.12.2008 10:48

Dear Ige, Your presentation and intepretation of 'facts' as defined by you is very interesting indeed. There is nothing some of you will not do to defend the indefensible. Let me ask you some simple questions based on these your 'facts': IF Zik NCNC has made in-roads into Yoruba land, what stops Awo's Action group from striving hard to make the same in-roads in the Eastern region? Must Awo concentrate all his political efforts in the West? Why did he not try to penetrate the Eastern region just as he did in the Tiv region? As for your threat on the so call "Southern solidarity", as divisive as people like you are, nobody needs you there. The people who will organise it, no themselves. Those people are not prepared to bring back our past, No, the past will only guide them to move Nigeria forward and not backwards. Zik and Awo have rendered their services to the Nation and have departed with their past to the great beyond. It is left for the younger generation to pick up the pieces and move on. We are tired of "Awo said, Awo did not say or that Zik said and Zik did not say" bunkum. Please!

NWANZA  # 4 | 30.12.2008 11:35

=Lovenest;306421>Dear Ige, Your presentation and intepretation of 'facts' as defined by you is very interesting indeed. There is nothing some of you will not do to defend the indefensible. Let me ask you some simple questions based on these your 'facts': IF Zik NCNC has made in-roads into Yoruba land, what stops Awo's Action group from striving hard to make the same in-roads in the Eastern region? Must Awo concentrate all his political efforts in the West? Why did he not try to penetrate the Eastern region just as he did in the Tiv region? As for your threat on the so call "Southern solidarity", as divisive as people like you are, nobody needs you there. The people who will organise it, no themselves. Those people are not prepared to bring back our past, No, the past will only guide them to move Nigeria forward and not backwards. Zik and Awo have rendered their services to the Nation and have departed with their past to the great beyond. It is left for the younger generation to pick up the pieces and move on. We are tired of "Awo said, Awo did not say or that Zik said and Zik did not say" bunkum. Please! Thank you Lovenest - unfortunately we cannot move on without looking back. A people without history is like a tree without roots. Chief Awolowo made in-roads in the eastern region, in regards to his programs especially Education. Even the first coupe characters intended to hoist Chief Awolowo on Nigeria, because of the in-roads he made on the Igbo's. Those are the good old days, and the so called historians should get their stories straight. Why do we bend the truth so much that is becomes a lie? The british were still around, and should shed more light in this. The BBC achives are still there - please stop already.

oranyan  # 5 | 30.12.2008 15:15

@ nwanza So, what is the truth?

oranyan  # 6 | 30.12.2008 15:17

Lovenest, "Let me ask you some simple questions based on these your 'facts': IF Zik NCNC has made in-roads into Yoruba land, what stops Awo's Action group from striving hard to make the same in-roads in the Eastern region? Must Awo concentrate all his political efforts in the West? Why did he not try to penetrate the Eastern region just as he did in the Tiv region?" Have you not heard of a man named Samuel Goomsu Ikoku? If not, kindly find out about him and your question will be answered. By the way, why not address the issues raised by Ralph Uwechue, who made the statement as president of Ohanaeze? I merely challenged him with some evidence. So, if you want to move away from Awo and Zik, why not call the Ralph Uwechues to order? Why take Leye Ige on? Abi I started it ?

NWANZA  # 7 | 30.12.2008 16:46

=oranyan;306622>@ nwanza So, what is the truth? Don't ask me - ask the author to explain his logic. It is bitter/sweet to run into the truth. All I know is that BBC documented everything.

oranyan  # 8 | 30.12.2008 16:52

=NWANZA;306675>Don't ask me - ask the author to explain his logic. It is bitter/sweet to run into the truth. All I know is that BBC documented everything. Why don't you help us out here? Give me the BBC link so I can cross check. This will allow me to "run into the truth."

Ewuro  # 9 | 30.12.2008 17:58

=Lovenest;306421>Dear Ige, Your presentation and intepretation of 'facts' as defined by you is very interesting indeed. There is nothing some of you will not do to defend the indefensible. Let me ask you some simple questions based on these your 'facts': IF Zik NCNC has made in-roads into Yoruba land, what stops Awo's Action group from striving hard to make the same in-roads in the Eastern region? Must Awo concentrate all his political efforts in the West? Why did he not try to penetrate the Eastern region just as he did in the Tiv region? As for your threat on the so call "Southern solidarity", as divisive as people like you are, nobody needs you there. The people who will organise it, no themselves. Those people are not prepared to bring back our past, No, the past will only guide them to move Nigeria forward and not backwards. Zik and Awo have rendered their services to the Nation and have departed with their past to the great beyond. It is left for the younger generation to pick up the pieces and move on. We are tired of "Awo said, Awo did not say or that Zik said and Zik did not say" bunkum. Please! The writer called on evidences to buttress his assertions and conclusions. While doing so he rebutted many falsehood that had been perpetrated in certain quarters. If you have contrary evidence, not hearsay, you may bring those to the fore. There would be no solidarity based on falsehood. To answer your question,in 1951, Western Region signified her interests through her leaders for self-government. The East did not signify their interest as at then and were not ready. Why would Awo go to the East to campaign when there would be no elections. By the time they were ready in the east, taking a cue from the success of self-governance in the West, Awo's AG campaigned in the region with some limited successes in the Calabar Pronvince, some other cross-river area and Rivers areas, though the NCNC won overwheminly. The same happened when the North had their elections, Awo's AG made in-roads to some of the minority areas.

oranyan  # 10 | 30.12.2008 18:39

=Ewuro;306719>The writer called on evidences to buttress his assertions and conclusions. While doing so he rebutted many falsehood that had been perpetrated in certain quarters. If you have contrary evidence, not hearsay, you may bring those to the fore. There would be no solidarity based on falsehood. To answer your question,in 1951, Western Region signified her interests through her leaders for self-government. The East did not signify their interest as at then and were not ready. Why would Awo go to the East to campaign when there would be no elections. By the time they were ready in the east, taking a cue from the success of self-governance in the West, Awo's AG campaigned in the region with some limited successes in the Calabar Pronvince, some other cross-river area and Rivers areas, though the NCNC won overwheminly.The same happened when the North had their elections, Awo's AG made in-roads to some of the minority areas. Thank you for putting this in context. Thank you.

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