Nigeria pre-independence nationalist
I was listening to a radio show late evening yesterday and got to hear about a pre-independence nationalist, a woman, who countered the Independence struggle of Nigeria in the 1950s. That’s weird for the African nationalist ideal of those days.
She was definitely sitting on the un-‘popular side’ (popular side – is the common parlance for the uncovered bleachers, usually cheaper, in the main bowl of a stadium) of Nigeria’s independence, and that probably accounted for not being well known in Nigeria’s political history.
The unpopular Nigerian nationalist is Adunni Oluwole, the founder of the Nigerian Commoners Liberal Party. She is the nationalist reputed to have insisted that Nigeria didn’t deserve independence when the country was pursuing it.
She was said to have predicted that the new Nigerian leaders who will take over from the British colonialists will repeat the elitist lifestyle of the Britons and further worsen the pains of the common people. As if to escape the impending danger, Adunni Oluwole died three years before 1960.
Some have opined that Nigeria got independence on a platter when she wasn’t ready for it. Is self-government bad, I don’t think so. But what are we making out of it, that’s clear for all to see.
Reflecting on Adunni Oluwole, is she true or true? Dem tell us, we no hear!
#YeahMomentsWithYO!