Chief Anthony Enahoro, A Prominent Nigerian Politician – 1923 To 2010
Chief Anthony Enahoro was a foremost figure in the history of Nigeria who played a pivotal role in the country’s journey towards independence and self-governance. As one of the founding fathers of the Nigerian nation, his contributions remained instrumental in shaping what would become the Nigerian state on October 1st, 1960.
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One of Enahoro’s important achievements was his pioneering motion for Nigeria’s independence, a milestone that ultimately materialized in 1960. This historic motion marked the beginning of Nigeria’s transition from colonial rule to self-determination.
It was the culmination of a series of constitutional conferences and passionate activism by various Nigerian leaders, with Enahoro playing a key role.
His Early Life And Education
Anthony Enahoro was born on July 22, 1923, in Uromi, Edo State. Of his father, Anastasius Okotako Enahoro who is from Onewa, and his mother, Fidelia Inibokun, very little is documented about them. She was however said to be a relative to Ogbidi Okojie, the Onojie or king of the Uromi kingdom, who took over the rulership of the land from his father, Okolo N’Ojie.
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Of the relevance of Ogbidi Okojie and where Chief Enahoro could have gotten the inspiration to stand out for Nigerian independence, against British colonialism, we will talk about that later and probably go beyond King Ogbidi, himself.
But first, the young Enahoro, getting his feet on the ground in education. He got his formal education, first in a Government school in Uromi and he later attended Owo Government School, in present-day Ondo, State Nigeria. In later years, he furthered his education at King’s College Lagos, where he was crowned the student leader.
His position as the student leader set the stage for Enahoro to pursue his anti-colonial activities. It cannot be mistaken that Enahoro saw what was going on in Lagos and what ordinary Nigerians were going through at the hands of the British colonialists. By the early periods of the 1940s, he was actively engaged in the Nigerian liberation movement against colonial rule.
At this same time, his leadership within the student body ignited revolts at the college’s campus in Lagos, marking a significant chapter in his role as a student leader. This boldness and determination later surfaced several times during his political career when he emerged as an important figure during a period of profound societal transformation and rapid changes in Nigeria.
In subsequent years, Enahoro got married to Helen Imayuse Ediae, the daughter of Chief J. Ediae Idahosa, the Aiwerioba of Benin, and begot five children.
It’s important to also note that Enahoro thrived quite well in sports. During his early years at King’s College, he was one of the major Gulf and cricket players, so much so that he was credited with being the first Nigerian to register in the Gulf club.
Also, Enahoro was credited with being among the forces that saw the establishment of FESTAC in the 1970s. For more about Enahoro’s legacy, see the end of the presentation.
His Early Career in Journalism And Publication
Enahoro’s pro-democracy zeal nudged him into journalism which he saw as an outlet to disseminate information to young Nigerians regarding the evils of Colonialism and the need for independence.
This is how it started. In 1944, at the youthful age of twenty-one, Anthony Enahoro crossed paths with Nnamdi Azikiwe, another prominent figure in Nigeria’s struggle for independence. To learn more about Nnamdi Azikiwe, you can check out our previous video in the series: Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, The First President of Nigeria – 1963 To 1966.
Recognizing Enahoro’s potential, Azikiwe sent him from Lagos to Ibadan to assume the editorial role at his newspaper, the Southern Nigerian Defender. This historic appointment made Enahoro the youngest newspaper editor in the whole of Nigeria and he was extremely brilliant at his job.
Enahoro’s journalistic journey continued to flourish as he went on to become the editor of the Daily Comet, a position he held from 1945 to 1949. Additionally, he served as the assistant editor of the West African Pilot, a newspaper that was previously edited by Azikiwe, from 1950 to 1952. Simultaneously, he took on the role of editor-in-chief at the Morning Star, headquartered in Sapele, Delta State, from 1950 to 1953.
Throughout his tenure as an editor, Enahoro found himself at odds with the British colonial administration. His persistent commitment to exposing colonial misconduct led him to publish an exposé in the Daily Comet in 1946, which resulted in his imprisonment for nine months on sedition charges.
Undiscouraged and willing to sacrifice everything for the actualization of the Nigeria of his dream, in 1947, he delivered a stirring speech denouncing police violence and discrimination against Nigerian troops in the British army. That was a courageous act that, however, led to a twelve-month prison sentence.
Now, when you hear people say that “freedom is not given but you must take it”, this is what it means. Now, imagine these young Nigerians, trying to free their land from the domination of foreign enemies. They knew what they were up against, yet they kept on struggling so that the Nigerian people could have a better future. Never you forget that.
Enahoro’s unwavering dedication to the cause of independence led to his final confrontation with the colonial authorities in 1949. Defying their orders, he chaired a lecture for Azikiwe’s Zikist Movement, earning him further incarceration. His unyielding spirit and fearless pursuit of justice solidified his legacy as a key figure in Nigeria’s struggle for independence.
His Prominence In The Nigerian Political Arena
Enahoro’s sole desire for Nigeria’s independence in later years prompted his entry into politics. With the help of Arthur Prest, Enahoro founded the Mid-West party and had been publishing the Nigerian newspaper since the early 1950s.
However, in 1951, the Mid-West party transitioned into the Action Group under the chairmanship of Obafemi Awolowo and Samuel Akintola. Yet, Enahoro made strong contributions to the party that in the same year he was elected a member of the House of Assembly.
Remarkably, it was during his service as a member of the House Of Assembly that Enahoro moved the motion of “Self-government” in 1953 during an indoor meeting. However, Enahoro’s motion was not accepted by most of the members of the Northern People’s Congress, NPC.
The counter-motion punctuated by Sir Ahmadu Bello, the leader of NPC during the meeting stirred tension between the leading parties. Apparently, the NPC members were laughed at, at the end of the meeting by the Southerners, leaving the NPC embarrassed on their way back to the North.
Given this bitterness, the northerners launched a reprisal attack on the Action Group members during their enlightenment tour in Kano in 1953. The tour led by Samuel Akintola, the vice chairman of AG crumbled as the northerners violently cracked down on the rally, hence the famous “1953 Kano riot.”
Although Enahoro’s proposition for self-government wasn’t met, other nationalists continued proposing it at every given opportunity. In the 1957 London conference, a bit of success was met as the Southerners were proclaimed internally independent. In 1959, two years after that conference, the Northerners equally attained their independence.
The process culminated in grand success in 1960 as both the northern and southern of Nigeria were proclaimed independent. At the time, Enahoro was appointed the minister of Home Affairs by Obafemi Awolowo, the premier of the western region, in 1954.
The following year, Enahoro was titled the “Adolor of Uromi” (meaning the person that brings development) and this was done to acknowledge his grand efforts towards the attainment of Nigeria’s independence.
Enahoro’s Backstory as A Fighter For Freedom
During his struggle for a better Nigeria, chief Enahoro suffered a series of imprisonments and threats to his life, and this is deeply enshrined in him and where he is coming from. At the beginning of the video, I alluded to where the boldness and determination of Enahoro might have come from.
Now, I am going to summarize a very long story before returning to Enahoro’s series of imprisonments at the hands of the Nigerian government.
The people of Esan which Enahoro is part of can be seen to be quite challenging to control when you take away their rights. This can be very consistent depending on how far we want to trace back the history of the Esan people. Their ancestors, quite fairly, were warrior type, and they were very skillful at military tactics and self-defense.
In the 16th century, for example, a protracted conflict known as the Uzea War, alternatively referred to as the Bini–Esan War, unfolded between two formidable kingdoms: the Uromi Kingdom and the Kingdom of Benin. This enduring conflict was rooted in the refusal of friendship extended by Oba Ozolua of Benin to Agba N’ojie of Uromi.
All that has been due to previous conflicts when the Esan people simply resolved that they needed better treatment from Benin, and they were ready to fight for what they wanted. Although very little has been discussed about this 16th-century conflict between Esan and the Benin people, this Uzea War led to the death of Oba Ozolua of Benin and Agba N’ojie of Uromi. So, a lot should be written about it by Esan and Benin historians.
Among many Esan people, however, Agba N’ojie is revered as the “God of war”. That was based on his military accomplishment, and today his legacy endures as he continues to be venerated beneath the shade of a towering kapok tree in Uromi.
Talking about the Esan/Benin war, the path to reconciliation eventually emerged, leading to the signing of a pivotal peace treaty by the Esans and Binis, known as Ukoven among the Esan people. This landmark accord was solemnized through the planting of the Ohimi tree and the recitation of the Ohimi oath, encapsulated by the phrase “Esan I Gbedo…” which translates to “Esan people will no longer attack Binis” in modern parlance.
This newfound harmony between the Esan and Bini kingdoms bore testament to their enduring cooperation. Notably, Esan kingdoms offered their warriors in support of the Benin Kingdom during significant conflicts, as exemplified during the Idah War of 1515−1516.
Additionally, during moments when certain Obas of Benin faced challenges in claiming their rightful thrones, they sought refuge in Esanland. In such instances, Esan warriors courageously escorted these Obas back to Benin to reestablish their rule, as evidenced by the reign of Oba Osemwende (1816–1848).
Fast forward, a few generations later, the land of Uromi and Esan was occupied by the British colonialists, and they were reconfiguring the society and changing the way of life of the people. But this will not be taken lightly by the Esan people, many of whom have already retired into the forest and fighting the British as rebels.
They wanted to drive out the British from Esan land. The king on the throne or the Onojie of Uromi at this in history was Ogbidi Okojie, the 14th Onojie of Uromi in the line secession.
To cut a long story short, King Ogbidi didn’t want to adopt the British system of indirect rule. Instead, he wanted to govern his people as his ancestors had done before him and this automatically placed him in a direct confrontation with the British colonial administration.
If you are interested in learning about Esan history, you will read about the series of moves by King Ogbidi of Uromi. From a close ally betraying him to the British, his exile to Benin in 1918 and then to Ibadan in 1924, and his dramatic escape from Ibadan to Uromi to keep ruling over his people in 1926.
He was later rearrested and taken back to Ibadan until finally released in 1931 when he again started to reconsolidate his position as the Onoje of Uromi, until he died in 1944.
This is only to share with you the long story of the freedom fighters behind Enahoro. So, when Enahoro stood tall before the colonial administration in Lagos in 1953, telling them that Nigerians needed to be free, he knew that all his ancestors were with him and that he was simply doing what was expected of him.
He wanted freedom like those before him in Esan history and he wanted it for all Nigerians this time. Enahoro was prepared to pay the price for a better Nigeria and now you know why.
As The Deputy President Of The Action Group
In 1958, Enahoro was made the deputy president of the Action Group and he led the party’s delegates to the All-African People’s Congress in Accra, Ghana. By 1962, tension ruptured in the Action Group as the group was accused of aiming to overthrow the federal government. This tension led to Enahoro’s sudden escape to London through Accra in September 1962.
The Nigerian government requested for the extradition of Enahoro under the 1881 Offenders Act which prevented his application for political asylum. However, his case dusted up an argument in the London parliament, until Harold Macmillan, the leader of the Labour Party consented to the majority’s decision. Therefore in 1963, they extradited Enahoro to Nigeria.
On his return to the country, Enahoro was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment by the Nigerian government with charges of treason. However, with subsequent appeal, Enahoro’s jail sentence was shortened to ten years. However, he got his release during Yakubu Gowon’s military regime.
During Gowon’s regime, Enahoro was appointed the minister of Information and Labor and he served throughout the period of civil war until 1974. In 1975, one year later under Murtala Muhammad’s administration, Enahoro was made the commissioner of special duties.
Anthony Enahoro got his doctorate degree award in Political Science at the University of Benin in 1973. Fast forward to December 15, 2010, Enahoro took his last breath after a long battle with diabetes.
Remembrance And Legacy of Chief Anthony Enahoro
There is no doubt that Anthony Enahoro’s unwavering dedication to the realization of Nigeria’s political freedom was a force that shaped the nation’s destiny. His historic motion for independence not only resonated with so many Nigerians but also ignited a profound understanding of the vital need for freedom.
It’s also important to remember that Enahoro worked tirelessly toward the military transfer of power to the civilian government, especially after President Shehu Shagari was ousted from power. He formed the Movement for National Reformation (MNR), the group through which he advocated for the return of power to the civilian government.
Surely, his legacy extends beyond his role in the independence movement. Anthony Enahoro was a dedicated pro-democracy activist and an ardent anti-colonialist. Throughout his career, he held multiple influential positions that allowed him to advocate for the principles he held dearly.
In summary, Chief Anthony Enahoro’s enduring impact on Nigeria’s history is undeniable. His initiation of the motion for independence, coupled with his pro-democracy activism and tireless anti-colonial efforts, solidified his status as a key figure in the nation’s struggle for self-governance.
His tenacity and resilience in the face of adversity serve as an inspiration for generations to come. All these perfectly reflect the indomitable spirit of Nigeria’s quest for freedom and sovereignty.
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