The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by Deadlytruth(m): 9:56am On Jun 13, 2016 |
First Nigeria Regional Elections: Western Nigeria 1951 Elections Matthew Mbu and history:
Ambassador Mathew Mbu is a well- respected Nigerian. But in this piece, veteran journalist, Mr Felix Adenaike challenges some of his claims about Nigeria's past 'Falsehood may have its hour, but it has no future' - Francois D. Pressense
In what seemed his 48th independence anniversary gift to Nigerians, Dr. Matthew Tawo Mbu, politician, lawyer and diplomat, gave The Nation an interview run in its October 1 edition addressing some political issues in Nigeria of which he had been a key player. Among others, he spoke on the Western Nigeria election held in 1951, two generations ago, and repeated the claim of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon (NCNC) that it won that poll, but had been robbed of victory. Then as now, Dr. Mbu did not provide any evidence to substantiate the NCNC claim. 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 repetition 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: 1. Ijebu Remo Division - Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole; 2. Ijebu Ode Division - S.O. Awokoya, Rev. S.A. Banjo and V.D. Phillips; 3. Oyo Division - Chief Bode Thomas, Abiodun Akerele, A.B.P. Martins, T.A. Amao and SB Eyitayo; 4. Osun Division - SL Akintola, JO. Adigun, JO Oroge, S.I. Ogunwale, I.A. Adejare, J.A. Ogunmuyiwa and S.O. Ola; 5. Ondo Division - P.A. Ladapo and G.A. Deko; 6. Okitipupa Division - Dr. L.B. Lebi, CA Tewe and SO Tubo; 7. Epe Division - SL Edu, AB Gbajumo, Obafemi Ajayi and C.A. Williams; 8. Ikeja Division - O. Akeredolu-Ale, SO Gbadamosi and FO Okuntola; 9. Badagry Division - Chief CD Akran, Akinyemi Amosu and Rev. GM Fisher; 10. 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: 11. Egbado Division - J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi, Adebiyi Adejumo, A. Akin Illo and P.O. Otegbeye; 12. Ife Division - Rev S.A. Adeyefa, D.A. Ademiluyi, J.O. Opadina, and S.O. Olagbaju; 13. Ekiti Division - E.A. Babalola, Rev. J Ade Ajayi, S.K. Familoni, S.A. Okeya and D Atolagbe; 14. Owo Division - Michael Adekunle Ajasin, A.O. Ogedengbe, JA Agunloye, LO Omojola and R.A. Olusa; 15. Western Ijaw Division - Pere EH Sapre-Obi and MF Agidee; 16. Ishan Division - Anthony Enahoro; 17. Urhobo Division - WE Mowarin, J.B. Ohwinbiri and JD Ifode; 18.Warri Division - Arthur Prest and O. Otere, and 19. 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: 1. Egba Division- Alhaji D.S. Adegbenro 2. Ekiti Division - J.O. Osuntokun, and 3. Epe Division - S.O. Hassan.
At the close of polls on 24 September 1951, the Action Group had won 38 of the 72 seats in contention out of the total of 80 in the Regional Assembly. The shortfall was due to the fact that elections had been postponed in Lagos and Benin due to security concerns. Lagos had five seats in the West Regional Assembly all later won by the NCNC in the election of 20 November 1951, while Benin had three all later won by Otu Edo candidates in the election of 6 December 1951. 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 were as follows: 1. Ijebu Remo - Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole; 2. Ijebu Ode - Rev. SA Banjo and S.O. Awokoya; 3. Oyo - Bode Thomas, Abiodun Akerele, ABP Thomas, TA Amao and SB Eyitayo; 4. 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: 5. Egba - J.F. Odunjo, Alhaji AT Ahmed, Rev. S.A. Daramola and Prince Adedamola; 6. Egbado (now Yewa) - J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi and A. Akin Illo; 7. Ekiti - E.A. Babalola and Rev. J. Ade-Ajayi; Badagry - Chief CD Akran and Rev. G.M. Fisher; 8. Ikeja - SO Gbadamosi and O Akeredolu- Ale; 9. Ife - Rev. SA Adeyefa and SO Olagbaju; 10. Owo - AO Ogedengbe and RA Olusa; 11. Epe - Safi Lawal Edu; 12. Okitipupa - C.A. Tewe; 13. Western Ijaw - M.F. Agidee; 14. Ishan - Anthony Enahoro, and 15. 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: 1. Action Group - 38; 2. NCNC and its loyal Independents - 25; 3. IPP - 6 4. Ondo Improvement League - 2. 5. 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: 1. Action Group - 38; 2. Independent/AG - 15; 3. NCNC - 24; 4. 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. 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. 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. As Mme De Stael says: The "search for the truth is the noblest occupation of man; its publication is a duty". Dr. Mbu and his political entourage have chosen their own side of history. It remains to be seen whether or not history will absolve them. Their contemporary audience is composed of intelligent people who will search after the truth without inheriting the political prejudice and stereotype of their lying grand-parents. That is the way ahead for Nigeria. And "the greatest friend of truth is time; her greatest enemy is prejudice". - CC Calton 8 Likes 4 Shares |
Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by 36xtr99r: 9:58am On Jun 13, 2016 |
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Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by houstonia(m): 10:04am On Jun 13, 2016 |
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Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by Simbrixton(m): 5:16am On Aug 05, 2020 |
Interesting |
Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by Nobody: 5:41am On Aug 05, 2020 |
Deadlytruth so in essence what is your point? |
Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by Dedetwo(m): 6:29am On Aug 05, 2020 |
Deadlytruth: First Nigeria Regional Elections: Western Nigeria 1951 Elections Matthew Mbu and history:
Ambassador Mathew Mbu is a well- respected Nigerian. But in this piece, veteran journalist, Mr Felix Adenaike challenges some of his claims about Nigeria's past 'Falsehood may have its hour, but it has no future' - Francois D. Pressense
In what seemed his 48th independence anniversary gift to Nigerians, Dr. Matthew Tawo Mbu, politician, lawyer and diplomat, gave The Nation an interview run in its October 1 edition addressing some political issues in Nigeria of which he had been a key player. Among others, he spoke on the Western Nigeria election held in 1951, two generations ago, and repeated the claim of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon (NCNC) that it won that poll, but had been robbed of victory. Then as now, Dr. Mbu did not provide any evidence to substantiate the NCNC claim. 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 repetition 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: 1. Ijebu Remo Division - Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole; 2. Ijebu Ode Division - S.O. Awokoya, Rev. S.A. Banjo and V.D. Phillips; 3. Oyo Division - Chief Bode Thomas, Abiodun Akerele, A.B.P. Martins, T.A. Amao and SB Eyitayo; 4. Osun Division - SL Akintola, JO. Adigun, JO Oroge, S.I. Ogunwale, I.A. Adejare, J.A. Ogunmuyiwa and S.O. Ola; 5. Ondo Division - P.A. Ladapo and G.A. Deko; 6. Okitipupa Division - Dr. L.B. Lebi, CA Tewe and SO Tubo; 7. Epe Division - SL Edu, AB Gbajumo, Obafemi Ajayi and C.A. Williams; 8. Ikeja Division - O. Akeredolu-Ale, SO Gbadamosi and FO Okuntola; 9. Badagry Division - Chief CD Akran, Akinyemi Amosu and Rev. GM Fisher; 10. 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: 11. Egbado Division - J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi, Adebiyi Adejumo, A. Akin Illo and P.O. Otegbeye; 12. Ife Division - Rev S.A. Adeyefa, D.A. Ademiluyi, J.O. Opadina, and S.O. Olagbaju; 13. Ekiti Division - E.A. Babalola, Rev. J Ade Ajayi, S.K. Familoni, S.A. Okeya and D Atolagbe; 14. Owo Division - Michael Adekunle Ajasin, A.O. Ogedengbe, JA Agunloye, LO Omojola and R.A. Olusa; 15. Western Ijaw Division - Pere EH Sapre-Obi and MF Agidee; 16. Ishan Division - Anthony Enahoro; 17. Urhobo Division - WE Mowarin, J.B. Ohwinbiri and JD Ifode; 18.Warri Division - Arthur Prest and O. Otere, and 19. 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: 1. Egba Division- Alhaji D.S. Adegbenro 2. Ekiti Division - J.O. Osuntokun, and 3. Epe Division - S.O. Hassan.
At the close of polls on 24 September 1951, the Action Group had won 38 of the 72 seats in contention out of the total of 80 in the Regional Assembly. The shortfall was due to the fact that elections had been postponed in Lagos and Benin due to security concerns. Lagos had five seats in the West Regional Assembly all later won by the NCNC in the election of 20 November 1951, while Benin had three all later won by Otu Edo candidates in the election of 6 December 1951. 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 were as follows: 1. Ijebu Remo - Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole; 2. Ijebu Ode - Rev. SA Banjo and S.O. Awokoya; 3. Oyo - Bode Thomas, Abiodun Akerele, ABP Thomas, TA Amao and SB Eyitayo; 4. 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: 5. Egba - J.F. Odunjo, Alhaji AT Ahmed, Rev. S.A. Daramola and Prince Adedamola; 6. Egbado (now Yewa) - J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi and A. Akin Illo; 7. Ekiti - E.A. Babalola and Rev. J. Ade-Ajayi; Badagry - Chief CD Akran and Rev. G.M. Fisher; 8. Ikeja - SO Gbadamosi and O Akeredolu- Ale; 9. Ife - Rev. SA Adeyefa and SO Olagbaju; 10. Owo - AO Ogedengbe and RA Olusa; 11. Epe - Safi Lawal Edu; 12. Okitipupa - C.A. Tewe; 13. Western Ijaw - M.F. Agidee; 14. Ishan - Anthony Enahoro, and 15. 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: 1. Action Group - 38; 2. NCNC and its loyal Independents - 25; 3. IPP - 6 4. Ondo Improvement League - 2. 5. 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: 1. Action Group - 38; 2. Independent/AG - 15; 3. NCNC - 24; 4. 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. 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. 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. As Mme De Stael says: The "search for the truth is the noblest occupation of man; its publication is a duty". Dr. Mbu and his political entourage have chosen their own side of history. It remains to be seen whether or not history will absolve them. Their contemporary audience is composed of intelligent people who will search after the truth without inheriting the political prejudice and stereotype of their lying grand-parents. That is the way ahead for Nigeria. And "the greatest friend of truth is time; her greatest enemy is prejudice". - CC Calton mamaafrik:CONTINUED The two prophets had met and there was no parting of ways until death. Before Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe left Ibadan to Lagos, they had formed the Ibadan Grand Alliance and adegoke had been appointed as its first secretary. A year later, he became Vice President of the Western Committee of the NCNC and a leading NCNC member in the Ibadan People’s Party, which later merged with the NCNC. He did not find things easy. Within his party, were a few elements with dual loyalties- to the NCNC and the Egbe Omo Oduduwa, a cultural organization. On the 1st of December, 1951, adegoke adelabu, who had described himself as-”A strong man and the political voice of the west”, suffered a political master stroke. Five of the elected members- 1. Chief A.M.A Akinloye. 2. Chief D.T Akinbiyi. 3. Chief S. Owoola Lanlehin. 4. Chief Moyosore Aboderin 5. Chief S.A Akinyemi, all of the Ibadan People’s Party- NCNC Alliance, attended an Action Group rally. adegoke commented acidly- “the long awaited proof of treachery has arrived” adegoke resented this, by opening up a salvo in the Southern Nigeria Defender Newspaper, with a serialized, devastating and documented attack, titled-"A Stab On The Back" The Ibadan desertion blasted his hope of an NCNC majority in the Western House of Assembly. On the 7th of January, 1952, only 25 NCNC members could be mustered in the assembly. adegoke wrote-“On the Day of Shame-January 7, 1952-only 25 NCNC members could be mustered in the Assembly. The motley crew of mercenary careerists trooped in with their badge of shareholding in Political Booty Ltd. And among them, pale and guilty, the five deserters from Ibadan! Everyone held their breath at the shamelessness of men born of women and the whole house sat spell-bound.” But if adegoke adelabu had failed to become the leader of the government of Western Nigeria, he had, through his steadfastness to the NCNC, become the leader of the people of Ibadan. In his speech to his loyal followers, he bade defiance to the Action Group and took an oath to fight it, until his last day on earth. He kept his oath. Then came, in 1954, the local government election to the Ibadan District Council. During the electioneering campaign, adegoke was everywhere. He was seen by the people, taking time off from the political campaign and speech making to drinking Tombo (native wine) with the masses of the people. adelabu had become a one man political circus. He knew to his fingertips what the people wanted; above all, he had learned one lesson in mass psychology: that being ridiculous is the only form of notoriety that does not kill a politician. When the results of the council elections were announced, adelabu and his grand alliances had won all the seats. A few days later, he was made the chairman of the Ibadan District Council. Most Nigerians with some form of free-educational background tend to have difficulties to comprehend what transpired in Nigeria during the era of fight for independence. From 1951 to 1953, there were no premiers because the regions did not have autonomy. Therefore there were leaders of government instead of premiers. |
Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by Ogonimilitant(m): 7:13am On Aug 05, 2020 |
Op keep lying to yourself |
Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by RichBoy247: 7:16am On Aug 05, 2020 |
I will be back. I think the writer wrote from the psychiatric hospital. This is the root of the generational madness that has been affecting the writer's generation.
Will I leave my coding assignment and read this nonsense by a mentally unstable idiot? No way. Just the intro and the summary, and you will see that it is only the village Dibia that can help the writer. |
Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by Deadlytruth(m): 8:17am On Aug 05, 2020 |
Dedetwo:
mamaafrik: CONTINUED The two prophets had met and there was no parting of ways until death. Before Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe left Ibadan to Lagos, they had formed the Ibadan Grand Alliance and adegoke had been appointed as its first secretary. A year later, he became Vice President of the Western Committee of the NCNC and a leading NCNC member in the Ibadan People’s Party, which later merged with the NCNC. He did not find things easy. Within his party, were a few elements with dual loyalties- to the NCNC and the Egbe Omo Oduduwa, a cultural organization.
On the 1st of December, 1951, adegoke adelabu, who had described himself as-”A strong man and the political voice of the west”, suffered a political master stroke. Five of the elected members- 1. Chief A.M.A Akinloye. 2. Chief D.T Akinbiyi. 3. Chief S. Owoola Lanlehin. 4. Chief Moyosore Aboderin 5. Chief S.A Akinyemi, all of the Ibadan People’s Party- NCNC Alliance, attended an Action Group rally. adegoke commented acidly- “the long awaited proof of treachery has arrived”
adegoke resented this, by opening up a salvo in the Southern Nigeria Defender Newspaper, with a serialized, devastating and documented attack, titled-"A Stab On The Back"
The Ibadan desertion blasted his hope of an NCNC majority in the Western House of Assembly. On the 7th of January, 1952, only 25 NCNC members could be mustered in the assembly. adegoke wrote-“On the Day of Shame-January 7, 1952-only 25 NCNC members could be mustered in the Assembly. The motley crew of mercenary careerists trooped in with their badge of shareholding in Political Booty Ltd. And among them, pale and guilty, the five deserters from Ibadan! Everyone held their breath at the shamelessness of men born of women and the whole house sat spell-bound.”
But if adegoke adelabu had failed to become the leader of the government of Western Nigeria, he had, through his steadfastness to the NCNC, become the leader of the people of Ibadan. In his speech to his loyal followers, he bade defiance to the Action Group and took an oath to fight it, until his last day on earth. He kept his oath. Then came, in 1954, the local government election to the Ibadan District Council. During the electioneering campaign, adegoke was everywhere. He was seen by the people, taking time off from the political campaign and speech making to drinking Tombo (native wine) with the masses of the people. adelabu had become a one man political circus. He knew to his fingertips what the people wanted; above all, he had learned one lesson in mass psychology: that being ridiculous is the only form of notoriety that does not kill a politician. When the results of the council elections were announced, adelabu and his grand alliances had won all the seats. A few days later, he was made the chairman of the Ibadan District Council.
Most Nigerians with some form of free-educational background tend to have difficulties to comprehend what transpired in Nigeria during the era of fight for independence. From 1951 to 1953, there were no premiers because the regions did not have autonomy. Therefore there were leaders of government instead of premiers. Here is an unbiased account given by an Igbo man, Uchenna Nwakwo, who was not only a live witness to those events but was a direct participant. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/2012/07/zikeyo-ita-face-off-aladinmas-misrepresentations/amp/Please note where the report reads thus: "Secondly, the“famous carpet-crossing saga” is usually somewhat over-stretched and has been used to foist inter-ethnic misunderstanding between the Igbo and the Yoruba. It is not true that Yoruba NCNC parliamentarians abandoned Zik on the floor of the Western House of Assembly and crossed over to Awolowo’s side as often painted. "The truth is that five members of the six elected parliamentarians from the Ibadan Peoples Party, IPP, led by AdisaAkinloye (and some other fringe groups)tilted the balance in Awolowo’s favour by teaming up with the Action Group, AG; the sixth member, AdegokeAdelabu, joined forces with the NCNC to form the NCNC-Mobalaji Grand Alliance. For too long, many Igbos have been deceived into believing that the Western NCNC abandoned Zik and that the Yoruba are therefore a bunch of shifty, non-trustworthy people that are unworthy of strategic (political) alliance. Far from this, the Western NCNC stood solidly behind Zik to the bitter end." 5 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by fregeneh(m): 2:46pm On Mar 25, 2022 |
Deadlytruth: First Nigeria Regional Elections: Western Nigeria 1951 Elections Matthew Mbu and history:
Ambassador Mathew Mbu is a well- respected Nigerian. But in this piece, veteran journalist, Mr Felix Adenaike challenges some of his claims about Nigeria's past 'Falsehood may have its hour, but it has no future' - Francois D. Pressense
In what seemed his 48th independence anniversary gift to Nigerians, Dr. Matthew Tawo Mbu, politician, lawyer and diplomat, gave The Nation an interview run in its October 1 edition addressing some political issues in Nigeria of which he had been a key player. Among others, he spoke on the Western Nigeria election held in 1951, two generations ago, and repeated the claim of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon (NCNC) that it won that poll, but had been robbed of victory. Then as now, Dr. Mbu did not provide any evidence to substantiate the NCNC claim. 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 repetition 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: 1. Ijebu Remo Division - Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole; 2. Ijebu Ode Division - S.O. Awokoya, Rev. S.A. Banjo and V.D. Phillips; 3. Oyo Division - Chief Bode Thomas, Abiodun Akerele, A.B.P. Martins, T.A. Amao and SB Eyitayo; 4. Osun Division - SL Akintola, JO. Adigun, JO Oroge, S.I. Ogunwale, I.A. Adejare, J.A. Ogunmuyiwa and S.O. Ola; 5. Ondo Division - P.A. Ladapo and G.A. Deko; 6. Okitipupa Division - Dr. L.B. Lebi, CA Tewe and SO Tubo; 7. Epe Division - SL Edu, AB Gbajumo, Obafemi Ajayi and C.A. Williams; 8. Ikeja Division - O. Akeredolu-Ale, SO Gbadamosi and FO Okuntola; 9. Badagry Division - Chief CD Akran, Akinyemi Amosu and Rev. GM Fisher; 10. 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: 11. Egbado Division - J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi, Adebiyi Adejumo, A. Akin Illo and P.O. Otegbeye; 12. Ife Division - Rev S.A. Adeyefa, D.A. Ademiluyi, J.O. Opadina, and S.O. Olagbaju; 13. Ekiti Division - E.A. Babalola, Rev. J Ade Ajayi, S.K. Familoni, S.A. Okeya and D Atolagbe; 14. Owo Division - Michael Adekunle Ajasin, A.O. Ogedengbe, JA Agunloye, LO Omojola and R.A. Olusa; 15. Western Ijaw Division - Pere EH Sapre-Obi and MF Agidee; 16. Ishan Division - Anthony Enahoro; 17. Urhobo Division - WE Mowarin, J.B. Ohwinbiri and JD Ifode; 18.Warri Division - Arthur Prest and O. Otere, and 19. 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: 1. Egba Division- Alhaji D.S. Adegbenro 2. Ekiti Division - J.O. Osuntokun, and 3. Epe Division - S.O. Hassan.
At the close of polls on 24 September 1951, the Action Group had won 38 of the 72 seats in contention out of the total of 80 in the Regional Assembly. The shortfall was due to the fact that elections had been postponed in Lagos and Benin due to security concerns. Lagos had five seats in the West Regional Assembly all later won by the NCNC in the election of 20 November 1951, while Benin had three all later won by Otu Edo candidates in the election of 6 December 1951. 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 were as follows: 1. Ijebu Remo - Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole; 2. Ijebu Ode - Rev. SA Banjo and S.O. Awokoya; 3. Oyo - Bode Thomas, Abiodun Akerele, ABP Thomas, TA Amao and SB Eyitayo; 4. 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: 5. Egba - J.F. Odunjo, Alhaji AT Ahmed, Rev. S.A. Daramola and Prince Adedamola; 6. Egbado (now Yewa) - J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi and A. Akin Illo; 7. Ekiti - E.A. Babalola and Rev. J. Ade-Ajayi; Badagry - Chief CD Akran and Rev. G.M. Fisher; 8. Ikeja - SO Gbadamosi and O Akeredolu- Ale; 9. Ife - Rev. SA Adeyefa and SO Olagbaju; 10. Owo - AO Ogedengbe and RA Olusa; 11. Epe - Safi Lawal Edu; 12. Okitipupa - C.A. Tewe; 13. Western Ijaw - M.F. Agidee; 14. Ishan - Anthony Enahoro, and 15. 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: 1. Action Group - 38; 2. NCNC and its loyal Independents - 25; 3. IPP - 6 4. Ondo Improvement League - 2. 5. 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: 1. Action Group - 38; 2. Independent/AG - 15; 3. NCNC - 24; 4. 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. 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. 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. As Mme De Stael says: The "search for the truth is the noblest occupation of man; its publication is a duty". Dr. Mbu and his political entourage have chosen their own side of history. It remains to be seen whether or not history will absolve them. Their contemporary audience is composed of intelligent people who will search after the truth without inheriting the political prejudice and stereotype of their lying grand-parents. That is the way ahead for Nigeria. And "the greatest friend of truth is time; her greatest enemy is prejudice". - CC Calton Ok |
Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by amuwo1980: 2:59pm On Mar 25, 2022 |
They have started again , twisting the truth , what of that Buhari’s daughter that is married to any anambra man , afonja these ppl |
Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by Keegan: 5:15am On Mar 06 |
Deadlytruth: First Nigeria Regional Elections: Western Nigeria 1951 Elections Matthew Mbu and history:
Ambassador Mathew Mbu is a well- respected Nigerian. But in this piece, veteran journalist, Mr Felix Adenaike challenges some of his claims about Nigeria's past 'Falsehood may have its hour, but it has no future' - Francois D. Pressense
In what seemed his 48th independence anniversary gift to Nigerians, Dr. Matthew Tawo Mbu, politician, lawyer and diplomat, gave The Nation an interview run in its October 1 edition addressing some political issues in Nigeria of which he had been a key player. Among others, he spoke on the Western Nigeria election held in 1951, two generations ago, and repeated the claim of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon (NCNC) that it won that poll, but had been robbed of victory. Then as now, Dr. Mbu did not provide any evidence to substantiate the NCNC claim. 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 repetition 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: 1. Ijebu Remo Division - Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole; 2. Ijebu Ode Division - S.O. Awokoya, Rev. S.A. Banjo and V.D. Phillips; 3. Oyo Division - Chief Bode Thomas, Abiodun Akerele, A.B.P. Martins, T.A. Amao and SB Eyitayo; 4. Osun Division - SL Akintola, JO. Adigun, JO Oroge, S.I. Ogunwale, I.A. Adejare, J.A. Ogunmuyiwa and S.O. Ola; 5. Ondo Division - P.A. Ladapo and G.A. Deko; 6. Okitipupa Division - Dr. L.B. Lebi, CA Tewe and SO Tubo; 7. Epe Division - SL Edu, AB Gbajumo, Obafemi Ajayi and C.A. Williams; 8. Ikeja Division - O. Akeredolu-Ale, SO Gbadamosi and FO Okuntola; 9. Badagry Division - Chief CD Akran, Akinyemi Amosu and Rev. GM Fisher; 10. 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: 11. Egbado Division - J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi, Adebiyi Adejumo, A. Akin Illo and P.O. Otegbeye; 12. Ife Division - Rev S.A. Adeyefa, D.A. Ademiluyi, J.O. Opadina, and S.O. Olagbaju; 13. Ekiti Division - E.A. Babalola, Rev. J Ade Ajayi, S.K. Familoni, S.A. Okeya and D Atolagbe; 14. Owo Division - Michael Adekunle Ajasin, A.O. Ogedengbe, JA Agunloye, LO Omojola and R.A. Olusa; 15. Western Ijaw Division - Pere EH Sapre-Obi and MF Agidee; 16. Ishan Division - Anthony Enahoro; 17. Urhobo Division - WE Mowarin, J.B. Ohwinbiri and JD Ifode; 18.Warri Division - Arthur Prest and O. Otere, and 19. 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: 1. Egba Division- Alhaji D.S. Adegbenro 2. Ekiti Division - J.O. Osuntokun, and 3. Epe Division - S.O. Hassan.
At the close of polls on 24 September 1951, the Action Group had won 38 of the 72 seats in contention out of the total of 80 in the Regional Assembly. The shortfall was due to the fact that elections had been postponed in Lagos and Benin due to security concerns. Lagos had five seats in the West Regional Assembly all later won by the NCNC in the election of 20 November 1951, while Benin had three all later won by Otu Edo candidates in the election of 6 December 1951. 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 were as follows: 1. Ijebu Remo - Obafemi Awolowo and M.S. Sowole; 2. Ijebu Ode - Rev. SA Banjo and S.O. Awokoya; 3. Oyo - Bode Thomas, Abiodun Akerele, ABP Thomas, TA Amao and SB Eyitayo; 4. 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: 5. Egba - J.F. Odunjo, Alhaji AT Ahmed, Rev. S.A. Daramola and Prince Adedamola; 6. Egbado (now Yewa) - J.A.O. Odebiyi, D.A. Fafunmi and A. Akin Illo; 7. Ekiti - E.A. Babalola and Rev. J. Ade-Ajayi; Badagry - Chief CD Akran and Rev. G.M. Fisher; 8. Ikeja - SO Gbadamosi and O Akeredolu- Ale; 9. Ife - Rev. SA Adeyefa and SO Olagbaju; 10. Owo - AO Ogedengbe and RA Olusa; 11. Epe - Safi Lawal Edu; 12. Okitipupa - C.A. Tewe; 13. Western Ijaw - M.F. Agidee; 14. Ishan - Anthony Enahoro, and 15. 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: 1. Action Group - 38; 2. NCNC and its loyal Independents - 25; 3. IPP - 6 4. Ondo Improvement League - 2. 5. 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: 1. Action Group - 38; 2. Independent/AG - 15; 3. NCNC - 24; 4. 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. 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. 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.
As Mme De Stael says: The "search for the truth is the noblest occupation of man; its publication is a duty". Dr. Mbu and his political entourage have chosen their own side of history. It remains to be seen whether or not history will absolve them. Their contemporary audience is composed of intelligent people who will search after the truth without inheriting the political prejudice and stereotype of their lying grand-parents. That is the way ahead for Nigeria. And "the greatest friend of truth is time; her greatest enemy is prejudice". - CC Calton Quite interesting. No matter how fast a lie runs, the truth will someday overtake it. 1 Like |
Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by Deadlytruth(m): 6:13am On Mar 08 |
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Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by Deadlytruth(m): 6:17am On Mar 08 |
RichBoy247: I will be back. I think the writer wrote from the psychiatric hospital. This is the root of the generational madness that has been affecting the writer's generation.
Will I leave my coding assignment and read this nonsense by a mentally unstable idiot? No way. Just the intro and the summary, and you will see that it is only the village Dibia that can help the writer. Truth is painful and bitter in your ears. 1 Like |
Re: The Deadly Truth Of The Western Region Assembly Cross-carpeting Accusation. by Deadlytruth(m): 6:18am On Mar 08 |
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