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By adminadmin on August 1, 2014



This piece is not a full critique of Professor Alaba Ogunsanwo’s paper delivered at Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria titled “Defining Nigeria’s nationhood at 100 years” and being serialized in “ooduapathfinder”. He made some erroneous conclusions in the paper which ought to be corrected immediately . The errors were contained in the second part, especially on the issues of the 1951 Western Regional elections where Professor Ogunsanwo wrote thus “The political dominance of the NCNC led by Nnamdi Azikiwe in Lagos and the west was robustly challenged at the polls. While the NCNC apparently came out on top, some deft political maneuvering saw Zik’s NCNC lose the apparent majority in the legislative house and eventually Zik being compelled to temporarily shift his political base from Lagos and the West to the Eastern part of the country, his place of origin even though he was born in Zungeru in northern Nigeria“.
To set the records straight, it will be necessary to revisit the book on the elections, “Awo or Zik: Who won the 1951 Western Regional elections” written by Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu, who was the Organizing Secretary of the Action Group in Lagos and a very dedicated member of the Party throughout its period of persecution. (available on “Amazon.com”). A review of the book by Layi Abegunrin,Professor of International Relations & African Studies,Howard University,Washington, D.C. is reproduced below, having been originally published in “ooduapathfinder” on November 28, 2013.

Furthermore, Professor Ogunsanwo tried to absolve Nnamidi Azikiwe from “ethnicity” and placed the blame on Charles Daddy Onyeama who had earlier stated that “the Ibo domination of Nigeria is a question of time” and goes on to write that the statement was not supported by Nnamidi Azikiwe. Yet, in 1949, upon assumption of the Presidency of the Ibo State Union, Nnamidi Azikiwe clearly stated that “ It would appear that the god of Africa has created the Igbo nation to lead the children of Africa from the bondage of ages“. Before this time, he had encouraged some other Yoruba in the NCNC to create what was then known as “Yoruba Federal Union” in order to spite the Egbe Omo Oduduwa, with its first public meeting held on, wait for it, June 12, 1948. Nnamidi Azikiwe saw nothing wrong with the establishment of the Ibo State Union but everything wrong with the Egbe Omo Oduduwa.

Leye Ige

“Ganiyu Dawodu. Awo or Zik: Who Won the 1951 Western Nigeria Elections”

This is an excellent and bold book. The author provides both detailed evidence and well-honed judgment in entering several controversial areas/issues and providing balanced insights and a platform for proper debate, without hysteria and mythologization.
The aim of this very interesting and controversial book by Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu is to prove and show conclusively that it was Awolowo that won the first Parliamentary election in the Western Nigeria in 1951 and not Azikiwe.
The 1951 Parliamentary elections was contested by two main political parties, the Action Group and the NCNC vied for supremacy in the Western Nigeria, although there were other local parties mostly cultural organizations without affiliation to the AG or the NCNC before the elections. Some of these local organizations were Ibadan People’s Party, and Ibadan Citizens’ Council in Ibadan, Ondo Improvement League in Ondo, Otu Edo in Benin, Nigerian People’s Congress in Lagos. Before the elections, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Government, Mr. Harold Cooper wrote to all political parties contesting the elections to make known names of their candidates for the final elections to the House of Assembly. In addition, Mr. Cooper told newsmen at a press conference that: “This would help his department to identify the party to which elected candidates belong when issuing press releases or broadcasting results of the final election on Monday, September 22. It is understood that letters have been dispatched to the secretariats of the NCNC, The Action Group, The Nigerian People’s Congress and other parties contesting the elections (p. 14).”
“The Action Group submitted its list of candidates while the NCNC did not submit or publish the names of its own candidates. In addition, “the Action Group list was released before the final elections and published in the Daily Service and the Nigerian Tribune on and before the September 24, 1951, the day of the final election in most parts of the West (p. 14).”
Chief A.M.A. Akinloye, , Chief Moyo Aboderin, Chief D.T. Akinbiyi, Chief S.O. Lanlehin, Chief S.A. Akinyemi, and Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu, they all contested on Ibadan People’s Party (IPP), Egbe Omo Ibile, platform and won. They were independent of both the AG and the NCNC. Only Alhaji Adelabu went with the NCNC. According to Chief Aboderin: “Dr. Azikiwe had sent telegrams to all the six elected members of Ibadan People’s Party, urging them to join his party- the NCNC. Dr. Azikiwe’s strategy was however faulty since he relied mostly on Adelabu and Akinloye and thought that by getting the two of them he would be able to switch the other members to his camp. I favored the Action Group and I succeeded in getting all the members with the exception of Adelabu to the Action Group. The popular idea that the IPP cross-carpeted from the NCNC to the Action Group is therefore, erroneous (p. 55).”
At the close of the election on September 24, 1951, the Action Group judging by its list of candidates released before the election had won 38 out of 72 seats contested. Three days later, three candidates who contested as independents and won joined forces with their clleagues to sign the Action Group pacts of loyalty. They were Alhaji D.S. Adegbenro (Egba Division), J.O. Oshuntokun (Ekiti Division), and S.O. Hassan (Epe Division). Chief Adeola Odutola contested and won as an independent in Ijebu-Ode, and after the election declared for the Action Group. Chief Adeola Otutola’s declaration for the Action Group was announced by Chief Bode Thomas in the Daily Times of November 1, 1951 (p. 63). The three Otu Edo members, including S.O. Ighodaro (Benin Province) won on the platform of their local party also declared for the Action Group.
The Western Regional Elections of November 1951 gave the Action Group a majority victory of 44 seats out of 75 seats in the Western Nigeria House of Assembly. Only in Lagos were the five seats won by the NCNC led by Nnamdi Azikiwe. While the 1951 Elections became the seeds of discord, the results in Lagos as recoded in the Daily Times on November 22, 1951 had noted that; “The election result was a very disappointment to the NCNC whose leader Nnamdi Azikiwe has anticipated a majority in the regional and Central/Federal legislature prior to the election, “Azikiwe declared that he would not accept a ministerial post in an inferior legislature of the colonial type (Sklar, p. 116).” The loss crippled the plan of the NCNC Leader to paralyze the machinery of government which will lead to the reformulation of a new constitution. Obviously, the election outcome has given a majority to the Action Group, meaning that the NCNC could not form the Western Regional Government as Nnamdi Azikiwe has hoped. However, the result in Lagos gave the NCNC some hope that its National President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, would become a Leader in the Federal Legislature, because under the Macpherson constitution “a stipulated number of representatives from each Administrative Division was to be elected to the Federal House of Representatives from the Western House of Assembly (Sklar, p. 116).” When the Western Nigeria House of Assembly met for the first time on January 7, 1952, forty-nine members instead of forty-four declared for the Action Group, thus, culminating in a controversy that created a long mistrust between Chief Awolowo and Dr. Azikiwe. Apparently, the Action Group led by Chief Awolowo was able to organize the Western Regional Government with a comfortable margin; AG 49 and NCNC 26. But the House of Assembly was required to elect two of the five NCNC Representatives from Lagos to the House of Representatives. The Action Group majority in the House voted for Dr. Olorun-Nimbe, NCNC (a Yoruba) and Prince Adeleke Adedoyin, who later joined the AG (a Yoruba), neither of whom would step down in favor of their leader, Dr. Azikiwe, NCNC (an Ibo). Henceforth, a majority of the Ibos never trusted Chief Awolowo and the Yoruba as Awolowo was labeled as a ‘tribalist,’ thus, putting more flame on the political discord between Chief Awolowo and Dr. Azikiwe which started in the Nigerian Youth Movement in 1937-1938, over the Lagos City Legislative Council election contested by both Ernest Ikoli and Samuel Akisanya, and won by Ernest Ikoli (Awo was not a tribalist, the details of this will come out in a forthcoming book). Consequently, subsequent activities hardened the Ibos against anything Yoruba and with this episode the “National President of the NCNC was pigeon-holed as the unofficial Leader of opposition in the Western House of Assembly (Sklar, p. 117-118).” Dr. Azikiwe defended his abysmally poor performance at the polls that: “he and his party were under the impression that they had won 43 out of the 80 seats in the Western House of Assembly but 20 of the Legislators whom they regarded as members, supporters or sympathizers aligned themselves with the Action Group (p. 64).”
Action Group won because it was strong, disciplined, cohesive, committed and well organized. The NCNC had the goodwill but lacked organization. The internal squabbles and indiscipline within the NCNC affected its image. For instance the five NCNC Legislators contesting among themselves for the two seats allocated to Lagos in the House of Assembly in Lagos. Action Group concentrated on the West and limited its operations to the Western Region throughout the period of the country-wide elections. The AG’s campaign strategy was more effective. On the other hand the NCNC sought votes only from big towns, while AG covered all grounds, in towns, villages and hamlets. Most important Action Group came out with very impressive and well-reasoned policy papers-Party Manifesto informing the voters of the programs which the party would pursue if elected. It chose to work for the welfare state which would among others, provided free education and free health services for the people of the West. To cap all its motto, was “Freedom for All and Life More Abundant.” The NCNC did not present any party program and no party manifesto. Dr. Azikiwe promised that it would be after the elections that the NCNC would present its manifesto he, Dr. Azikiwe accused Chief Obafemi Awolowo of presenting party programs ahead of the election results.

Zik was and is a loser! I hope political leaders in the West will let it be known that nothing of a non-Yoruba would ever be in leadership anywhere in the West. Let them to and contest in the East.

Nnamidi Azikiwe clearly stated that “ It would appear that the god of Africa has created the Igbo nation to lead the children of Africa from the bondage of age


What? Such ethnitical statement is not iddeal 4 any society. I dnt knw what prompted it

He he he
Una don start again?

It chose to work for the welfare state which would among others, provided free education and free health services for the people of the West. To cap all its motto, was “Freedom for All and Life More Abundant.” The NCNC did not present any party program and no party manifesto. Dr. Azikiwe promised that it would be after the elections that the NCNC would present its manifesto he, Dr. Azikiwe accused Chief Obafemi Awolowo of presenting party programs ahead of the election results.


Imagine NCNC, a party that lacks political cohesion and ideology challenging a Party with subtul organisation and well laid manifesto.

Clearly, the NCNC is the present day PDP while the AG is synonimous to present day APC.

@ barcanista I thought as much too, what we have a now is almost like the repetition of what happened back then, hm.

djfaithy: @ barcanista I thought as much too, what we have a now is almost like the repetition of what happened back then, hm.

lets see as things unfold

Ok

They will all run away from this thread of truth as it demolished all the tales by moonlight under the mango tree wailers prefer to believe