Babatunji Olowofoyeku - Crisis in Western Nigeria, 1959-1966

Crisis in Western Nigeria, 1959-1966

Before the 1959 General Elections into Federal Parliament that preceded the declaration of Nigeria’s independence from Britain in 1960, Chief Obafemi Awolowo the national leader of the Action Group (AG) had vacated his post as Premier of the West to seek the elective office of Prime Minister at the Federal House of Assembly. Unfortunately, he did not win a majority of the votes needed and so he became the leader of Opposition at the Federal level. Because of a feud which had developed between him and his Party Deputy, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, now Premier of the Western Region, Chief Awolowo attempted to expel Akintola from the party and remove him from office as Premier of the West, intending to replace him with Alhaji Soroye Adegbenro.

During a subsequent debate in the Western House of Assembly on May 25, 1962, a free-for-all fight broke out among the legislators. The entire NCNC legislators present were active participants, backing Akintola’s breakaway faction. This was of major national importance and consequently, the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa intervened declaring a "State of Emergency" in the Western Region for 6 months. He appointed Chief Majekodunmi as Administrator.

At the expiration of the 6-month "State of Emergency", Akintola’s faction with tacit support from the Sardauna of Sokoto and the NPC in the North now united under the assumed name, the United Peoples Party (UPP) and forged an alliance with the NCNC legislators to form a new Government for Western Nigeria.

Chief Akintola returned on January 1, 1963 as the new Premier of the West and Fani-Kayode as his deputy. Chief Olowofoyeku was first appointed Minister of Education replacing Dr Sanya Onabamiro. Tom Egbe, a Mid- Westerner was appointed Attorney General largely due to the strong support from the Federal Finance Minister, Chief Festus Okotie-Ebo. However, after the creation of the Mid-Western State in July 1963, Egbe became Attorney General for the new Mid-West state and Chief Olowofoyeku was installed the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Western Region from September 26, 1963. Chief Olowofoyeku was also at the same time appointed a Queen's Counsel (QC) by the British Government, as recognition of his official legal duties to the Commonwealth.

Because of constant internal political strife within the NCNC and because of great under-representation of the West in the character and composition of the federal cabinet, Olowofoyeku and other Western Nigeria NCNC members in the legislature decided to align themselves with Akintola into the newly formed Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) in 1964. Olowofoyeku’s constituents in Ilesha were angry and viewed this move suspiciously and most unfavorably. Consequently, his previously staunch support among them quickly vanished. The NCNC and AG now formed a new national alliance, UPGA (United Progressive Grand Alliance) against the ruling NPC/NNDP alliance. When election time came around December 1965, it was payback time. It was chaos and pandemonium all over the country, particularly in the West and most especially in Ilesha. Olowofoyeku escaped an assassin’s bullet by a few inches during a campaign rally near Ilesha.

At the end, the ruling parties were declared winners of an election that most observers saw as rigged in favor of the incumbent. This election was indeed the beginning of violent electioneering in the annals of Nigerian history. There were wanton killings and arson was rampant. It became hazardous to walk the streets in broad daylight. This was a perfect setting for the January 15, 1966 coup that imposed martial law and thereby restored public order.