By Ayodele Fagbohun

“Kabiyesi, have you ever heard of Attila the Hun, the great warrior, who once conquered Rome? Fortified with the justness of the cause we espouse in the crisis, and  trusting  in the never failing  providence of God, I can say with confidence  that there, where  my blood is shed, no grass  will grow and no life is likely to flourish again.” -Chief Obafemi Awolowo

That was the late sage, Chief Jeremiah Oyeniyi Obafemi Awolowo widely  called and hailed Awooo.. by the teeming  admirers during his political  heyday. A legendary  political colossus made up of stout  constitution;  heart of steel and  iron. The  national leader of the defunct Action Group (AG), while  addressing some prominent Yoruba personalities, including the  Olubadan of Ibadan, the late Oba I.B Akinyele, on a visit  to  sue for a truce on the protracted AG crisis rocking the Western Region with concomitant profuse bloodletting and  inevitable collapse of the First Republic  politics.

Contrary to the widespread ugly and cruel insinuations and  innuendoes, which spread across the nation like a prairie fire in the grassland, to disparage the cherished  memory of the first premier of old Western Region (from Lagos to  Asaba in present Delta State), Chief Obafemi Awolowo, shortly after his death on Saturday May 9, 1987 was speculated to have attempted  suicide.

Far from  it, rather it was  widely reported that Awo died an avatar and  buried like a deity!

As history  can  recollect vividly, it was the intuitive  calpurnia, the queen of Emperor Caesar that forsaw  the tragic  end of  her  husband  and couched it in the following  powerful statement: “When beggars die, there comets  seen; the  heavens themselves blaze  forth the death of princes.”

So be it  with the illustrious Obafemi Awolowo who on his one case, gloriously  passed into eternity on that fateful day, thirty-eight (38) years ago!

In the  penultimate Saturday, Chief Awolowo embarked on unusual journey by road to Warri for the coronation of Olu  of Warri, His Royal Highness  Godwin  Edom 1 Ogiame Atuwatse, the Olu of Warri. Awolowo and his  entourage  stopped en route Owo at the residence of former  Ondo State governor, staunch  ally and comrade  in the AG, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin ostensibly to exchange  pleasantries but in  reality  paid farewell visit to an old and trusted colleague!

That  eventful  journey marked   the last public outing  before Chief Obafemi Awolowo died in the early  morning of Saturday May 9, 1987. The  big  bird had flown at dawn!!

The exit  of some great men who passed through the  crucible, cut  a niche for themselves in the  service of God  and mankind  consciously elevated into rare  mould  of the avatar,  more often than not, meet with  sudden death and suffered martyrdom.

It  occurs  frequently both in the spiritual and material worlds.

For  instance, Peter, the Apostle, St. Paul and Jesus  Christ, our Lord, died sudden, inscrutable and violent  deaths. The leader of India’s politics, Mahatma Ghandi,  incidentally the hero of Chief Awolowo, as  disciplined,  ascetic and spiritual, who espoused the policy of Satyagraha; non-violent and passive resistance  to alien British rule in India.

Nevertheless, Ghandi, a charismatic leader never escaped the baptism of gruesome death of political  assassination while addressing  a mammoth crowd of party supporters  at a public podium.

Like Awolowo, Mahatma Ghandi died at 78 and did  not live to become Indian Prime Minister.

As a redoubtable and legendary political figure in India, his  humble  lodge serves as  rendezvous for his teeming  followership and others who doggedly cherish and share his staunch political and untainted moral ideology till this day.

It is  remarkable to note that, Chief Awolwo’s mutual friend, Chief Mike Omoleye, a veteran  Journalist, renown mystique  and founder of Divine Society in Ibadan, Oyo State  constantly warned Chief Awolowo to be alert and wary of some villains out to assassinate him and put the whole  country into jeopardy.

Chief Obafemi Awolwo, as bold as Tiger, said  emphatically, without mincing words, that no human being  could kill or assassinate him.

He, however commended  Michael Omoleye whom he fondly  called “Mike” for his timely warning  and growing  concern for Nigeria. Awo then and  there  after vowed and  promised to intensify his spiritual  invocation for the  country.

The  erstwhile Attorney-General and Old Oyo Justice Commissioner, the late Justice Adewale Thompson and Mike Omoleye, an accomplished newspaper man/publisher- the  duo being  mystiques of no mean order- they were unanimous and  in concord in their  indepth findings and indubitable conclusions that  Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo  was a  re-incarnated deity  in human  form who came, saw and conquered his own environment.

Omoleye went further to describe  Chief Awolowo as a “divine spark” from the stock of “Oduduwa” the  revered progenitor of Yoruba race.  Awo belonged to those few sparks, “sui generis” who  are referred to  as the “salt of the earth,” the gem of heaven.

This  religious or rather  cosmic hypothesis connotes that Obafemi Awolowo shall be a Yoruba man on earth that will  work for  the progress of the entire  country  with the same zest, zeal,  industry and  patriotism that he piously served his Yoruba kindred or kith and kin.

The question inexorably crops up. How in all rationale and in good judgment could an avatar in human form  who lived an eventful like,  like  the late sage, Chief  Obafemi Awolowo  ever contemplate suicide? It is unthinkable.

This  warped thinking only emanated from the fallen angels and socially condemned, mean people from the  pit of hell that have pitiably  lost their  sanity!

While the enemies of progress who plunged Nigeria into anarchy and darkness in the First Republic politics  convicted Awo on trumped up charge of treasonable  felony for 10years  behind the bars, his  most brilliant  son, Olusegun Awolowo, a barrister-at-law; double degree holder, Solicitor/ Advocate in the Supreme Court of Nigeria was killed at 24 in a predetermined  motor accident on his way to court in Lagos during the AG crisis along Ibadan, Shagamu Lagos road.

Obafemi Awolwo, the spouse of Dideolu, a roaring lion in the midst of the battle,  soldiered on and  never gave a damn and highly optimistic of winning  the  war come  Sunshine or high waters. Decision to take life  that one has never created belongs only to the weaklings and the cowards.

Obafemi eventually triumphed  over his  ideological enemies and was eventually installed “de facto”.

Prime minister and federal commissioner for Finance in the General Yakubu Gowon military administration (1967-1970) that fought and won the Biafran/Nigeria civil war and imbroglio, and eventually restored the sovereignty   of the nation as one indivisible and indissoluble political  entity.

Think about some  feats recorded by indomitable Awo that are matchless and non-pareil in all its ramifications.

Is it Awo, the man of comerce? Is it Awo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)? Is it Awo, the veteran politician? Is it Awo, the Christian? Is it Awo, the spiritualist? Or; Awo, the humanist, humorist, etal .

Again to conclude this essay on the unfinished  story about the transition of the political enigma and avatar, Obafemi Awolowo’s  type comes but once in a century to add value to life.

Alas! Awolowo was precluded from accomplishing his mission to a  logical end in Nigeria.

According to the submission of Chief Mike Omoleye, the mystique, it is “darkness’ which deploys his agents, the devil and his cohorts to be on the prowl  to torment and kill  possible some glorious men assigned to better the lot of the people.

At another point, God may withdraw  the chosen elect from the earth  in order not to see corruption, leaving the ordinary, mortals to mourn the dead. Whereas, the hosts of heaven celebrate and rejoice on the coming back of the God’s  elect.

To illustrate the wiles and sinister agenda of the darkness over light is quite enormous. When a candle is lit to illuminate already dark environment, say a small study room, moths will strive and struggle to extinguish the  candle light. That was the plot of the devil .

Although Chief Obafemi Awolowo is dead physically, his impeccable and imperishable legacies, not  only linger on, but live on in the hearts and visibility  of the people who can perceive or see clearly in the inner minds.

It stands to reason that the immense services and contributions of Obafemi Awolowo and his lieutenants could not be ignored without inviting catastrophy and evil consequence on the heads of the nay sayers.

In spite of the futile efforts of some desperate anti-Awoist tucked away in the top  hierarchy of some ambitious self seeking and opportunistic retired men and officers full of envy, intrigues and spite collaborated with certain civilians in the corridor of ephemeral power. They were out, desperate to have their pound of flesh to obliterate the laudable feat of the late sage Awo in nation building.

No wonder, General Olusegun Obasanjo, the then outgoing military head of state, out of  sly , vindictive hideous hatred for the rising political profile of inimitable Awo, nursed a sinister  motive to willfully derail the well planned orchestrated transition to civil rule in 1979 general election.

General Obasanjo canvassed for the election  of Alhaji Shehu Shagari , the  ill prepared and reluctant candidate of the banned National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and adroitly ensured the electoral law was clandestinely amended on the eve of the presidential election. Thus, paving way for dubious and criminal emergence and installation of Shehu Shagari, NPN flagearer as the first elected civilian president in Nigeria.

Nonetheless, the civilian administration  faltered, crumbled and irretrievably collapsed like  a pack  of cards. Any Foundation   erected on quick’s and will certainly fall. That is the natural law!

General Obasanjo transition to  civil rule in 1979 was a gargantuan failure and disaster ridden project, unable  to enthrone enduring democracy.

Awo, a man with a big plan certainly lives on.. !!