You first became commissioner at 27, what was the experience like?

Now there was a commotion in the Action Group which affected my mind and I was a follower of two politicians in Ibadan who I knew very much. One of them was the first Ibadan lawyer, Mojeed Agbaje. The other man who interested me very much was Lekan Salami of Ogbomoso and Ibadan fame. I took part in the breaking of the door of the Premier’s office, I saw something that was undemocratic.

Akintola was the supreme leader, Awolowo left of his own volition without advice to contest the federal election. In the federal election he contested, he had no alliances. Stubborn, aggressive, very hardworking, visionary leader that Awolowo was, he never understood real politics at anytime. In real politics, you have to look at the figures, you have to have allies, there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies. You must have some allies. Nigeria is too fragmented for you not to have allies. If you’re counting the fingers of someone with nine fingers, you don’t count in the person’s presence and say you ‘so you have nine fingers.’ We had a brilliant man called Akintola who understood real politics. Awolowo believed that book knowledge was so important but he knew better.

A situation arose; Awolowo wanted to ally with the east and Akintola wanted to align with the north. So there was a crisis: Akintola wanted something, Awolowo wanted something. Where we came in is what I will explain to you now. Awolowo had earlier fought at the Jos conference and Akintola said he demanded that the governor call a meeting of the house and call for a vote of no confidence or of confidence. Or alternatively to dissolve the house and call for fresh elections, but they refused. They denied him an ordinary motion for confidence in the house which is undemocratic. You either test a man’s popularity in the house or you dissolve the house and call for fresh elections. They knew they would spend money and Akintola was eloquent. As a result, there was tension and we protested. That was where they picked me.

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Stubborn, aggressive, very hardworking, visionary leader that Awolowo was, he never understood real politics at anytime

sagombugo: Having read the interview by Baba Olunloyo,now I know where people like Gani though successful professionally but failed politically with all due respect while Tinubu seems to be succeeding politically!

A perfect understanding of the different sociopolitical ideosyncracies of each ethnic group in this country will make a politician succeed at his game. Alliances have to be forged,bridges have to be built! Alliances even with your hitherto political 'enemies'.

Book Knowledge or Ideological leanings don't win elections in this part of the world,alliances do! I hope those who are playing the politics of aloofness and sainthood will know that they aint going no where Nationally except they change!

HappyJoe: "Awo never understood real politics at any time".

That is nonsense - Awo understood Nigeria & its politics perfectly, he was vindicated by June 12. Awo understood that the Hausa/Fulani will never willingly give power to Yorubas - you can see what happened to Abiola.

Cast your mind back to 1999, the Hausa/Fulani imposed Obasanjo, but even at that, they barely allowed him to do his job. They disturbed him with Shari'a law and Atiku almost frustrated him - trying to force him to do only one term.

Today, Tinubu thinks he's smart. The Hausa/Fulani will play along with him, giving him illusions of grandeur. He'll think he's "Nigeria's kingmaker". The day the Hausa/Fulani regain power - they WILL FINISH him. Mark my words.

A word is enough for the wise - Igbos, Middle Belt and the Niger Delta used to have a Master/Servant relationship with the Hausa/Fulani, they are wiser today.

Politics for Awo wasn't merely about controlling the center, it was about controlling the destiny of the Yoruba people and not serving as somebody's slave.

Ask yourselves this important question - who have the Hausa/Fulani ever had a "partnership of equals with"? Igbos? Niger Deltans? Middle Belters? Northern Christians? Who exactly?

DerideGull:

This is a mere ranting of ant. Is either you stick with tribal identity or you shut up. What the hell are Niger Deltans and Middle Belters?

ibn akogun:

You sound so bitter and deranged at this advance stage of your life, certainly you gat more hatroid in your veins than Achebe. What bad mentioning your so much boasted political allies.

DerideGull:


One of the problems facing Nigerians is the knack to cherish lies, rumors and plain idiocy. I did not see anything wrong in advising a poster to shut it already. I know there is ethnic group known as Igbo but who the hell are Niger Deltans and Middle Belters?

It is unfortunate I let the poster have a free pass on Hausa/Fulani crap. There is no ethnic group in Nigeria called or known as Hausa/Fulani. I know there are Fulani and Hausa. Where in the world did people pull this “Hausa/Fulani” thing? I am not surprised Nigeria is languishing in dilapidated state.

In addition, I an not even surprised the innocuous post is deleted because it did not suit the level of idiocy the moderators wanted to read.

ibn akogun:


Bro get your fact right, tinubu is only fulfilling one of awo predictions. Page 205 of the heroes by awolowo states that one day the best of the conservatives will team up with the best of the progressives to rescue the nation. And that is about to happen.

ibn akogun:


Bro get your fact right, tinubu is only fulfilling one of awo predictions. Page 205 of the heroes by awolowo states that one day the best of the conservatives will team up with the best of the progressives to rescue the nation. And that is about to happen.

HappyJoe:

If you think teaming up with the North is such a great idea - please go and study, see whether Zik got anything in return for his support of the North. Ask yourself whether Alex Ekwueme got any thing in return from being a loyal servant of the North - or what Saro-Wiwa & Elechi Amadi benefited from their almost fanatical support of the North?

Saro-Wiwa was hanged, the Niger Delta that has consistently supported the North since independence was abandoned by them.

Maybe there are no elders in Yoruba land who anyone listens to again. Maybe Tinubu has shut everyone up, I don't know.

This goes beyond "performing governors" and all these childish slogans you people throw about - this journey you want to embark on, where does it lead, what could go wrong and what do you do if it goes wrong?

ibn akogun:


Bro get your fact right, tinubu is only fulfilling one of awo predictions. Page 205 of the heroes by awolowo states that one day the best of the conservatives will team up with the best of the progressives to rescue the nation. And that is about to happen.

HappyJoe:

If you think teaming up with the North is such a great idea - please go and study, see whether Zik got anything in return for his support of the North. Ask yourself whether Alex Ekwueme got any thing in return from being a loyal servant of the North - or what Saro-Wiwa & Elechi Amadi benefited from their almost fanatical support of the North?

Saro-Wiwa was hanged, the Niger Delta that has consistently supported the North since independence was abandoned by them.

Maybe there are no elders in Yoruba land who anyone listens to again. Maybe Tinubu has shut everyone up, I don't know.

This goes beyond "performing governors" and all these childish slogans you people throw about - this journey you want to embark on, where does it lead, what could go wrong and what do you do if it goes wrong?

ibn akogun:

Even though am not a fan of the northern politicians, I think something need to be done to curtail this mistake administration. And I don't think the northerns can box tinubu aside like the peeps you listed in your post. You will be surprise how he will do to them what obasanjo did to them the last time. My own point is just for gej to leave.

HappyJoe:

Let me just add, I think you are a bit naive - Awolowo basically served as number 2 to Gowon during the Civil War. What did he benefit from that? Did the North trust him enough to recommend him for the presidency? No. It was the same story with Abiola.

HappyJoe:

What magic can Tinubu perform? He can stop the North from winning elections in the South West, but once Northerners control the party machinery - it is over - Tinubu either dances to their tune or he goes back to being a regional politician.

Let me remind you that if APC wins, the entire Northern PDP will join APC - & you think that if Awo couldn't deal with those people, Tinubu can?

Why the whole merry-go-rounding about your obsession with tinubu. Dude if you don't like the guy no problem, just respect the fact that the guy gat good grasp of the political game. He foresaw the obj destabilization of the AD. Built the acn of scratch to a regional powerhouse. This man gat the b....alls joor.

I laugh.

HappyJoe:

What magic can Tinubu perform? He can stop the North from winning elections in the South West, but once Northerners control the party machinery - it is over - Tinubu either dances to their tune or he goes back to being a regional politician.

Let me remind you that if APC wins, the entire Northern PDP will join APC - & you think that if Awo couldn't deal with those people, Tinubu can?

ibn akogun:

Awo wasn't number two but the finance minister. I gat sympathy for mko. He gat his hand stick with loads of dirty deals with the northern oligarchy. The new agreement is done with mindful bitter experience of the past and I know tinubu is a smart genius. Take a look at tribe of peeps that gat majority of the important post in the new apc , then you gat to respect tinubu and his boys.

solomon111: Awo never understood real politics?
The same awo that betrayed the biafrans so as not to incur the wrath of the hausa-fulani masters?
The same awo that implemented the horrible,inhumane policy of starvation on the biafrans so as to bring the war to a quick end?
The same awo that began the reconstruction after the civil war, in the west,whereas the war was fought in the east.?
The same awo that hijacked multi-million pounds investments of biafrans and gave them 20pounds as compensation?
Atleast,awo understood the politics of betrayal,fraud and unparalled cowardice.

HappyJoe:

Awo was de facto "number two" in Gowon's administration.

No problem, we will see how much of a "genius" Tinubu is when folk like Babangida, Abdulsalami & other Northern heavyweights throw their money and their numbers in APC. We've watched this movie several times in the past - the South South and South East helps the North to win elections, only for them to be discarded when elections are won.

Northerners are interested all this "progressive" nonsense talk - they just want the North to control Aso Rock again. If Tinubu's political machine helps them do the job, no problems - the will use and dump it, the same way they used and dumped Zik in the First Republic, Awo after the Civil War, Ekwueme during the Second Republic and Saro-Wiwa after they had no use for him.

Don't say you weren't warned.

ibn akogun:


Damn you really don't understand the issue at hand. Northerns power drunk?? Yes. Tinubu can beat them to their games Yes. Why are zik and his fellow shitard used and dump?? Money call the shot for peeps from their part of the world. And they can easily be bought and sold like goods.