Obafemi Awolowo
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Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1909-1987) was a Nigerian politician and leader who started as a regional political leader as most of his pre-independence contemporaries. He founded many organizations, including Egbe Omo Oduduwa, the Trade Unions Congress of Nigeria and the Action Group political party. He was also the author of several publications mostly on his vision of how the Nigerian nation should be governed. He was the first indigenous Premier (the leader the government) of the Western Region under Nigeria's parliamentary system, from 1952 to 1960, and was the official Leader of the Opposition in the federal parliament to the Balewa government from 1960 to 1963.
Chief Awolowo was a leader who believed that the state should channel Nigeria's resources into Education and state-led infrastructure development. Controversially, and at considerable expense, he introduced free primary education for all in the Western Region, and established television and expanded electrification projects. Although popular in the Yoruba west of Nigeria, his left-leaning politics made him unpopular with the nation's largest political bloc - the northern, Muslim-conservative, and Hausa-dominated, Nigerian People's Congress (NPC).
Excluded from National government, the position of Awolowo and his party became increasingly precarious. Conservative Yoruba elements, angered at their exclusion from power, formed a break-away party, the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), under Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola. With central government support, and following orchestrated disturbances, the elected Western Regional Assembly was suspended, only to be reconstituted with the pro-government NNDP in control. Shortly afterward, in 1964, Awolowo and several others were charged and jailed for treason.
The remnants of the Action Group fought the National election of 1965 in alliance with the largely Igbo, and south-eastern NCNC. Amid widespread allegations of blatant fraud, the government parties of the NPC-NNDP won the election by a large margin. There were violent riots across the Western region as centres of AG strength discovered that they had supposedly elected NNDP candidates.
In the aftermath of the election there was a military coup on 15th January, 1966, establishing a National military government, following by a counter-coup on 29th July, 1966 six months later. Chief Awolowo was pardoned and freed from prison by the July 1966 coupists who were led by Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon and Col. Murtala Mohammed. When the civil war broke out, over the secession of the Eastern Region, Chief Awolowo was invited into the government as the finance minister under Gowon. Awolowo is regarded by many easterners especially Igbo people as main reason why Biafran Republic was not realised. He was accused of betraying the Igbo people after agreeing to declare the Oduduwa Republic at the onset of the Nigerian Civil War. Some see him as a war criminal for his actions during the Nigerian Civil War. Awolowo championed the economic blockade of Biafra. This brought untold sufferings and deaths to the Biafran civilians. Awolowo justified the blockade by saying that hunger was instrument of warfare. This is one of his most infamous quotes. However he resigned his position a year after the end of war in preparation for elective office.
In 1979, Chief Awolowo founded the Unity Party of Nigeria as a successor to the Action Group, and contested the presidential election that year. He lost to Alhaji Shehu Shagari by about 400 000 votes. In 1983, he again contested the presidential election, this time losing to Shagari by over four million votes, in an election that Awolowo and his supporters regarded as fraudulent.
Chief Awolowo would be remembered for building the first stadium in West Africa, first television station in Africa, and introduction of free primary education in the Western region of Nigeria. He is often referred to as "the best president Nigeria never had"by his very good friend oladayo fasan.
The University of Ife, located in Ife, Nigeria, was rechristened Obafemi Awolowo University as a posthumous honor. His portrait adorns Nigeria's one hundred naira currency note.de:Obafemi Awolowo