Background
He was born on March 6, 1909, at Ikenne.
He was born on March 6, 1909, at Ikenne.
Educated at Anglican and Methodist schools at Ikenne and at the Baptist Boys High School at Abeokuta. When his father died he became a pupil teacher at Ogbe, later a clerk in Lagos.
In September 1934 he was a reporter on the Nigerian “Daily Times”. He ventured into money lending, public letter writing and cocoa dealing where he had his fingers badly burnt in the 1937 slump, and spent the next five years paying off his debts and repurchasing his mortgaged house. He studied seriously, matriculating in 1939 and obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1944.
In June 1940 he became Secretary of Ihe Ibadan branch of the Nigerian Youth Movement, condemning its national leadership in Lagos and insisting on reorganisation. The party folded in 1941 when Dr Azikiwe and the Ibo leaders withdrew their support.
In 1943 he helped found the Trades Union Congress of Nigeria. The same year he decided to give politics a break and set himself a “five-year plan” to complete his education in Britain. He went there in 1944, studied Taw and was called to the Bar in November 1946.
Under the next five-year plan he established his legal practice on schedule and “launched a new offensive” by organising the Action Group with Bode Thomas in 1951.
In the 1951 elections Awo was helped by the Egbe Omo Oduduwa, a Yoruba Society he had helped found in Britain. The Action Group triumphed and he was returned for Ijebu Remo Becoming Leader of Government Business and Minister for Local Government in the West-Nigeria’s first selfgoverning region.
His organising ability was given full scope. He reformed local government and introduced free primary education and medical services for children under 18. Under the constitution of October 1, 1954, he became Prime Minister.
He continued to build the AG into one of the best-run political parties in Africa. By forging alliances with minorities in other regions he hoped to create a truly national party. He asked for the creation of more states and clashed vigorously with Dr Azikiwe's National Convention of Nigerian Citizens and the Northern People's Congress, which saw their own areas threatened.
He resigned the premiership in Western Nigeria in December 1959 to fight the Federal elections and campaigned with helicopters, television and American public relations consultants, but he failed to win sufficient seats outside the West and became leader of the opposition in the Federal parliament.
Awo left Chief Samuel Akintola, his deputy, as Premier in the West, but the two soon divided on personality and policy issues, Akintola wanting a rapproachement with the northerners.
The AG split, fighting broke out in the regional assembly and the Federal government intervened, putting Awo under house arrest. On November 2, 1962, he and 18 other members of his party were charged with treasonable felony after the discovery of a clumsily organised plot against the Federal leadership. After 11 months of trial he was found guilty on September 11, 1962, and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, having his appeal dismissed by the Supreme Court in August 1964.
Public opinion swung heavily in his favour as the long trial dragged on and profound sympathy was felt for the respected leader who bore his troubles with calm fortitude.
He spent just over three years in Calabar prison, writing his book ‘"Thoughts on the Nigerian Constitution”, to be released on August 3, 1966, by General Gowon, who greeted him with the words “We need you for the wealth of your experience." Thousands saw his triumphal entry into Lagos. He was elected leader of the Yorubas and headed their delegation to the constitutional conference in September 1966.
As Biafra moved towards secession, Awo warned that the West might follow suit. He was sore about the presence of northern troops. On May 7, 1967, he visited General Ojukwu to try and heal the breach, but was churlishly received. He then kept his options open until the Biafran invasion of the West brought him down firmly on the Federal side.
In June 1967 he was appointed Federal Commissioner for Finance and introduced a series of wartime budgets carefully husbanding the foreign exchange reserves until oil revenues began to flow through.
He found his powers in the military government limited and was upset by the attempts to divide the Yoruba state and the postponement of civilian rule. He resigned in June 1971 and returned to private legal practice.
Architect of Nigerian nationalism and leader of the Yoruba people. A lean ascetic, staring intently behind round glasses, brought up by Protestant missionaries and still a non-smoking teetotaller. An entirely self-made man he set himself targets throughout his life and fought to achieve them. A wry humour lurks behind his bookish, pedantic appearance. Essentially a Yoruba leader, his eternal problem has been to win national support. His arrest by the old civilian government meant that he was safely in prison at the time of the coups and one of the few politicians to emerge with his reputation unscathed. Though ageing, he could still make a contribution in a future civilian regime.