In this interview with Gboyega Akinsanmi, former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, disagreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo on how Yoruba leaders emerged, asserting that the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was unanimously elected as the leader of the Yoruba
Do you share former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s opinion that Chief Obafemi Awolowo has never been a Yoruba leader and that there is no likelihood that any can emerge?
I cannot share such opinion with him because 49 years ago. Precisely on August 12, 1966, I was present at the forum where Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was unanimously elected as the leader of Yorubas. The election involved all stakeholders including political actors, cultural leaders and intellectuals in Yorubaland. I still have records to prove that late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was elected aside the newspaper publications made after the election in Ibadan. I disagree with the former president on his claim that the late legend was handpicked by some of his supporters.
At the event where Awolowo was elected as the Yoruba leader, there were people of diverse political interests. For instance, late Dr. Koye Majekodunmi, who was the sole administrator of the Western Region, was there. Also, late Chief TOS Benson, a staunch supporter of Late Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe till death, was at the meeting. Chief Adisa Akinloye, who never shared Awolowo’s political ideology, was at the meeting contrary to Obasanjo’s view. Also, Dr. Tunji Otegbeye, who was a communist to the core, participated at the meeting. I want everyone to know that Chief Awolowo was released from prison two weeks before his election as the leader of the Yoruba.
I will give you more facts. He was unanimously elected by all stakeholders in Yoruba land by leader of different political beliefs. The military administrator of Western Region, General Adeyinka Adebayo convened series of meetings. He had the first meeting with activists and intellectuals on August 10, 1966. He held the second meeting with all traditional rulers in Yoruba on August 11, 1966. He held the third meeting with all stakeholders in on August 12, 1966. On that day, there was no dissenting voice against the election of Awolowo as the leader of the Yoruba. These are some of the facts. So, I can never agree with Obasanjo.
What do you think was the reason for this assertion by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo at this time?
I hate to play the role of a mind reader. But my worry is that if I failed to come out as someone who was involved in the activities leading to the election of Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, history would be distorted. In future, historians, researchers will base their conclusions on the Obasanjo’s record of events. He was also an active participant in the events at that period. As the Garrison Commander in Ibadan, he was an active member of General Adebayo’s cabinet. I do not think he would have forgotten so soon the sequence of events that threw up Awolowo as Yoruba leader.
He has direct knowledge of what transpired before and during the election. In fact, some journalists interviewed Awolowo on the statement he made after his election. The statement was that he would remain as the Yoruba leader for the duration of the military administration. We asked why should he limit his election as the Yoruba leader to the military period. I can remember vividly that his response was that the Yoruba people are so intelligent and sophisticated that under no circumstance in a political dispensation will they follow the same political ideology.
That was why he decided to limit the honour bestowed on him to only the period when the common interest of the Yorubas was threatened. He argued that the day the bell for the commencement of partisan politics rang, the capitalists like Dr. Koye Majekodunmi, the Zikists like T.O.S Benson, and the communists like Dr. Tunji Otegbeye among other would return to their political tents. They may not be in the same political party. Under such circumstances, he said he could not claim to be the Yoruba leader. That was why he deliberately tenured his office with profound statement.
But former President Olusegun Obasanjo claimed that late Chief Adisa Akinloye and few others objected to the emergence of Awolowo as Yoruba leader.
That was not true. Really, late Chief Adisa Akinloye never kicked against the election of Awolowo, even until his death. He was one of the admirers of Awolowo. He was the one who coined the word ‘Afenifere.’ I was close to Chief Akinloye even during his days in London where he exiled. He never disagreed with the fact that Awolowo must be respected as a person. There is a difference between being members of different political parties and having respect for a particular person. For instance, when Mallam Aminu Kano was alive, he often visited the Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello for consultation, though they believed in different political ideologies. Aminu Kano had his own political ideology called Talakawa while Sardauna tilted towards oligarchy. I do not know why anyone should in death denigrate the reputation of Chief Awolowo.
What would have prompted former President Olusegun Obasanjo to make such a statement?
I will not like to judge the former president. I do not want to join him in the condemnation of individuals. My aim is to put the fact straight. I respect him. He has his own strong points. He has his own weaknesses too. But one of the things I disagree with was the act of condemning anyone. I feel bad when he does these despite the luck he had. When General Murtala Muhammed was killed, he was opportune to assume leadership role at these places. Whether he likes it or not, Chief M.K.O Abiola will continue to be the hero of modern democracy in Nigeria. He laid down his life and I expect Obasanjo to recognise that fact. Obasanjo became a beneficiary of his effort. Nobody can claim to be the only hero in a society. A society is made up of different people.
Has former President Olusegun Obasanjo shown inclination towards feeling offended that some of you do not respect his status in the country?
In Yoruba, we believe one must earn whatever status he wants. We submit ourselves to any leadership voluntarily and not by coercion. He should be someone that everyone would visit for consultation. When Papa Simon Adebo was alive, Obasanjo and I often visited him to learn from him. That is what people should do at the moment for Obasanjo. He must earn it. The Yorubas often say that when one is aging, he abandon some attitude. General Gowon and General Abdulsalam Abubakar do not speak often. But they contribute to the country’s development. They also play key roles internationally. At this age, I believe that we should weigh our words.
Who is the current Yoruba leader?
We cannot have a Yoruba leader during partisan politics. When Chief Awolowo was elected as the Yoruba leader, he said that he would remain the Yoruba leader only under military regime. I have said it at different times that what we can have at the moment is the cultural Yoruba leader and not an overall Yoruba leader. By our level of education, exposure and independent mindedness we like to express ourselves; we can have an overall Yoruba leader when our collective interests are threatened. Even within family meetings, the head of the family is challenged on issues affecting the family. So, each time the interest of Yoruba is threatened, we all gather under the leadership of an individual to solve the problem. Pre-civil war, the Yoruba interest was threatened. Everyone agreed that the best person to lead the Yorubas at that time was Awolowo.
When June 12, 1993 presidential election was annulled, not only Yoruba leader, but everyone who believed in democratic governance knew that the system of government was threatened. This incident threw up late Pa Adekunle Ajasin as the Yoruba leader. I remember Chief Obasanjo visited Pa Ajasin. If Obasanjo did not recognise Pa Ajasin as Yoruba leader, why did he visit him at Owo? After the death of Ajasin, late Pa Abraham Adesanya was nominated by Omoyele Sowore, the founder of Sahara Reporters at Premier Hotel. The reason was that the man who could have assumed the leadership had died in incarceration. Many became sad. But when the bell of partisan politics was struck in 1999, Adesanya ceased to be Yoruba leader. He vacated the office to be Afenifere leader.
Since the death of Adesanya, there has not been clear cultural leader in the Yoruba land. What is the reason for this?
General Alani Akinrinade and Pa Fasoronti are playing that role now. In Yoruba, one must show leadership qualities before anyone can respect him. For instance, Akinrinade was involved in the enthronement of democracy in the country. He was a successful military officer. Even when the issue of former President Goodluck Jonathan and late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua came up, he went on streets with Prof. Wole Soyinka and others, demanding that the democratic norm must be adhered to. We have cultural leaders in every level
What could have led to the unanimous endorsement by these leaders considering diversity?
There were many reasons responsible for the emergence of Chief Awolowo as the Yoruba leader. At that time, he just came out of prison. When he came out, General Yakubu Gowon knew he needed Chief Awolowo to influence so many things for him. Before his imprisonment, he had been winning elections in other regions aside the Western Region. He won election in the core states (Calabar, River State and the present Niger Delta). He was winning elections in the Kanuri axis. He had electoral victory in the middle belt. Another reason was that at that time, Gowon had emerged as the Head of State.
Late Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu had emerged as leader for the Igbos. But there was no recognised leader in Yoruba at that time. The Yorubas needed someone who would be the rallying point. But there was no one who could contest it with Awolowo. Besides, the militants, the Agbekoyas, were holding the military to ransom at that time. It was only Chief Awolowo who could go into the jungles to persuade them to lay-down their arms. These were some factors that led to the emergence of Awolowo as the Yoruba leader.
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