By Prof Abiodun Ojo
Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s life was marked by trials that would have broken ordinary men, yet each challenge only revealed the depth of his vision and the strength of his character. Even in the courtroom where he and his loyal associate, Lateef Jakande, were sentenced, Awolowo remained the composed statesman.
Jakande wept—not for himself, but for his leader and for the humiliation of the South West. Awolowo approached him gently and asked, “Why cry for only me?”
Jakande replied, “I fear not prison. I could even serve your sentence with mine. But why must it be the Premier of my own region who suffers this?”
Awolowo’s answer carried the quiet wisdom that defined his life:
“Dry your tears. Sometimes God removes His own from danger before it arrives.”
History would soon justify those words. For when Nigeria stood on the brink of collapse in 1967, it was Awolowo—fresh from prison—whose political weight held the fragile nation together.
General Yakubu Gowon himself confessed:
“I needed him more than I needed the Nigerian Army.”
Awolowo was indispensable for two reasons:
He was the soul and rallying point of the Yoruba nation.
Had the Yoruba supported secession, Nigeria’s unity would not have survived. Awolowo’s endorsement of “One Nigeria” was the cornerstone of the nation’s continuity.
His wisdom was unparalleled.
Both friend and foe recognized that Awolowo’s intellect, if aligned with the rebels, would have altered the course of history.
Thus, two wartime giants—Gowon and Ojukwu—paid him profound tribute:
Gowon: “I was the luckiest Nigerian leader because the nation’s greatest asset—Chief Awolowo—was my Vice Chairman and Finance Commissioner.”
Ojukwu: “Chief Awolowo is the best President Nigeria never had.”
A Strategist Beyond His Era
Awolowo was more than a politician he was a master planner. Long before his imprisonment, he had invested heavily in building exclusive economic assets for the Western Region. He understood that political independence required financial strength.
His philosophy was simple but powerful:
“The poor cannot effectively oppose the central government.”
This financial architecture was the backbone of early progressive politics—until betrayal struck. A disgruntled deputy revealed Awolowo’s strategy to his opponents:
“If you do not destroy the Western Region’s investments, the South West will always be financially strong—and will always defeat you politically.”
From that moment, the region became a target. Awolowo was accused of fraud. The Western Region’s assets were seized, restructured, and later transformed into Odu’a Investment.
Military rule brought further assault—at one point all Western governors were non-Yoruba, and Odu’a was crippled.
Yet Lagos, under Bola Tinubu decades later, revived the progressive financial engine in a more sophisticated form.
May Lagos’ secret never be betrayed the way the Western Region’s was.
A Legacy of Progressive Giants
The foundations Awolowo laid were carried forward by a generation of steadfast men:
Lateef Jakande, Bisi Onabanjo, Bola Ige, Adekunle Ajasin, Ambrose Alli, Adebayo, J.S. Olawoyin, Anthony Enahoro, Abraham Adesanya, S.O. Gbadamosi, Bode Thomas—and many others who devoted their lives to progressive ideals.
Up Awo! Always.
And in a remarkable footnote of history:
When Awolowo returned to Lagos from Calabar Prison after meeting with Gowon, it was Murtala Mohammed—Nigeria’s rising military star—who insisted on driving him home personally.
He later described it as “a privilege.”
Such was the reverence commanded by the visionary from Yoruba land—
Chief Obafemi Awolowo unmatched in wisdom, unshaken in principle, and unforgettable in history.
—Prof Abiodun Ojo is the Provost @ the Afe Babalola College of Postgraduate Studies
