Samuel Ládòkè Akíntọ́lá (July 6, 1910 – January 15, 1966) was a Nigerian politician, lawyer, aristocrat and orator who was born in Ogbomosho, of the then Western Region. In addition to serving as one of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria, he was also elevated to the position of Oloye Aare Ona Kakanfo XIII of the Yoruba.

Early life

Akintola was born in Ogbomosho to the family of Akintola Akinbola and Akanke, his father was a trader and descended from a family of traders. At a young age, the family moved to Minna and he was briefly educated at a Church Missionary Society school in the city. In 1922, he returned to Ogbomosho to live with his grandfather and subsequently attended a Baptist day school before proceeding to Baptist College in 1925. He taught at the Baptist Academy from 1930 to 1942 and thereafter worked briefly with the Nigerian Railway Corporation. During this period, he became acquainted with H.O. Davies, a lawyer and politician and joined the Nigerian Youth Movement where he assisted Ikoli and supported the latter to represent Lagos in the legislative council over the candidacy of Samuel Akisanya, who was supported by Azikiwe. He joined the staff of the Daily Service Newspaper and soon became the editor in 1943 with the support of Akinola Maja, a shareholder, replacing Ernest Ikoli as editor. Akintola was also founder of Iroyin Yoruba, a newspaper written in the Yoruba language. In 1945, he opposed the general strike led by Azikiwe's NCNC and Michael Imoudu, earning the distrust of politicians like Anthony Enahoro.[1] In 1946, he earned a British scholarship to study in the U.K. and completed legal studies by 1950. He started his legal career working as a lawyer on land and civic matters. In 1952, he formed a partnership with Chris Ogunbanjo and Michael Odesanya.

Political career

After he was trained as a lawyer in the United Kingdom, Akintola returned to Nigeria in 1949 and teamed up with other educated Nigerians from the Western Region to form the Action Group (AG) under the leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He initially was the legal adviser of the group before becoming the deputy leader in 1953 after the death of Bode Thomas. He defeated Arthur Prest in the primary to succeed Bode Thomas. As the deputy leader of the AG party, he did not serve in the regional Western Region Government headed by the premier Awolowo but was the Action Group Parliamentary Leader/Leader of Oppositionin the House of Representatives of Nigeria. At the federal level he served as Minister for Health and later Minister for Communications and Aviation.

Decisions over the direction of strategic alliances by the party, the adoption of democratic socialism as the party's platform and the battle for supremacy in the party led to disagreement between Chiefs Akintola and Awolowo. Akintola disagreed with Awolowo's decision not to join the coalition government. Akintola felt the Yoruba people of the West were losing their pre-eminent position in business, university and administration in Nigeria to the Igbo people of the East simply because the Igbo-controlled NCNC had joined the government and the AG had not. He also opposed the party's decision to adopt democratic socialism as its ideology, preferring a more conservative stance.

Akintola felt the Yoruba people of the West were losing their pre-eminent position in business, university and administration in Nigeria to the Igbo people of the East simply because the Igbo-controlled NCNC had joined the government and the AG had not. He also opposed the party's decision to adopt democratic socialism as its ideology, preferring a more conservative stance.

dunkem21:
Nice one.. The last paragraph though

masinga07:
S.L Akintola. I was born and spent my childhood days in the same street where his house in ogbomoso is and where he was buried. What a powerful man. Till date, no one has been able to bring the staff of Aree Ona Kankafoo out of the building. It amazes me that not even the powerful Faderera (wife) till her death was able to live in the main building. Not even Bashorun Yomi the son, who till now lives in the back yard building. So many mystical things we have been told about the man and the building that you may want to doubt until this year january during his 50th remembrance program where Ajimobi also jokingly confirmed that the mark of his palm he slammed on the door at agodi government house is still there till today despite re-painting many times. So so many frightening stories about the man.

Tolexander:
Happy Posthumous Birthday!

And some of them do come here daily to disturb us, telling us they are not a slave to the northerners and had/have never gained anything from the alliance.

bloodyBLOGGER:
That last paragraph shows how much of a hypocrite the igbos are. What you accuse the Yorubas of doing i.e aligning with the north to form today's government is a thing you people have done in the past. Yet, you open your mouth to call the Yorubas all sorts of names cos you feel they betrayed the south. Where was the southern solidarity when Azikiwe led the eastern region to form an alliance with the north which marginalised the Yorubas?

The problem with you all is that your covetousness will never allow you to have peace of any kind. Supporting of fraudulent arrangements and criminals will never favour you. Everything you accuse others of doing, you are more guilty of it.

dunkem21:



LOL I don't patronise tribalists..

The last paragraph said that the battle of supremacy led to the disagreement of Akintola and Awo.

The Igbos have honoured those two guys.. at least I stayed in Akintola hostel while Awo hostel is two blocks away..


Rid yourself of hate and you'll excel..

bloodyBLOGGER:
There is no hate in my post. I only stayed the obvious. Do you know how awful it is to come online and watch some people call your tribe betrayals for taking a stand they feel best suits them, whereas they are equally guilty of such?

Well, if reminding them of their hypocrisy is what you call hate, so be it.

bloodyBLOGGER:
That last paragraph shows how much of a hypocrite the igbos are. What you accuse the Yorubas of doing i.e aligning with the north to form today's government is a thing you people have done in the past. Yet, you open your mouth to call the Yorubas all sorts of names cos you feel they betrayed the south. Where was the southern solidarity when Azikiwe led the eastern region to form an alliance with the north which marginalised the Yorubas?

The problem with you all is that your covetousness will never allow you to have peace of any kind. Supporting of fraudulent arrangements and criminals will never favour you. Everything you accuse others of doing, you are more guilty of it.

MrPresident1:
Aare Akintola

dragunov:

Its not every Yoruba national figure that is a hero you know.

MrPresident1:


So what is your opinion about Akintola?

dragunov:

In a nutshell, he was a scumbag.