How 1956 Patriots Put Nigeria First and Why Bigots Today Put Tribe First — 5Cs Lesson
Dr Mainasara Umar, Chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal, just pricked conscience of all our selfish religious/ethnic bigots.
He revealed untold conversation behind Nigeria’s independence — 1956 — when Queen asked statesmen: Who will be prime minister?
Zik said: Let Awolowo be PM — he led delegation, from most populous.
Sardauna said: No, Zik you are most cosmopolitan, most educated, you travelled world, you should be PM.
Zik said: No. Political independence without economic independence is meaningless — Nkrumah said it. Awolowo more endowed in economic knowledge — give him.
Awolowo said: No, Sardauna should be PM.
Sardauna said: No. I will not be fair to conglomeration of Nigeria if I become PM. People will misunderstand my royal background, my turban, my gown. If I go abroad people will think Nigeria is all Muslim — not fair to those not of my religion. And as NPC chairman, if I’m wrong who will penalise me?
Then Sardauna solved it: Minorities have right of protection. Majority will have their way, minority will have their say. There is a man two years older than me, from smallest minority in North — Tafawa Balewa district — Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
He said: You from minority tribe, we give you leadership, you will be afraid to cheat major tribes, and I as party chairman can discipline you. You must run in dictates of party manifestos, party plans of action, party discipline — which we lack today.
Tafawa Balewa accepted on one condition: that sick Governor General become head of state. That was spirit of common brotherhood — Nigeria first over parochial sentimental stupidity.
5Cs ANALYSIS — Why This Is Ice Breaker for WITNESS 2026 Sir:
That 1956 conversation had 5Cs — our WITNESS 2026 foundation upgrading Prof Nnah’s 3Cs:
1. Conscience Sir — Sardauna refused power because of conscience — “I will not be fair to Nigeria” if my religion misrepresents nation. Today’s gladiators have no conscience — religion in constitution used for bigotry, not fairness.
2. Competence Sir — Zik said Awolowo more endowed in economic knowledge — competence over tribe. Today we choose incompetence because he is my tribe, my religion — entrapment factory manufactures ZERO not HEROES — Prof Oloyede Former VC warned.
3. Character Sir — They rejected power four times — Zik, Awolowo, Sardauna, all said “no, give other”. Character to say no to power. Today character is “grab it, snatch it, run with it”.
4. Courage Sir — Choosing smallest minority in North in 1956 — courage to protect minority. Today courage missing — we fear minority will have say.
5. Capacity Sir — Party discipline, manifestos, plans of action — capacity to discipline even PM if wrong. Today no manifesto, no discipline, only sycophantic bunch who defend failed policies with polished poverty statistics — 63% poverty vs 4.43% growth — mask of statistics.
May God rest souls of these patriots — Zik, Awolowo, Sardauna, Tafawa Balewa — who took country first above self interest.
Today’s bigots — ethnic, religious — don’t care about Nigeria. They care about pocket, not power. They confuse gullible with figures — as George O. Sylvester said “polished poverty wearing mask of statistics” — child with empty bowl behind rising chart.
Solution Sir — expunge religion and tribe from constitution and governance? Not by law alone, but by mind restructuring — from mind restriction to mind restructuring — from different coops to one sky — as Polish journalist asked why keep different birds in different coops.
I am Miniature Map — Ijebu, Born Enugu, Idoma Northern Mother — Yoruba bird, Igbo bird, Northern bird in one body — Which coop for me? That is why Sardauna’s wisdom lives in me — minority protection.
WITNESS 2026 will return to 1956 spirit — Nigeria first — not pocket first — with 5Cs — Conscience, Competence, Character, Courage, Capacity — POWER not POCKET at UNGA 81 like Ghana/Kenya — not begging.
From Religious Bigotry to Common Brotherhood. From Parochial Stupidity to Patriotism. From Divided Nation to Miniature Map.
Richard Olanrewaju Odusanya — Author NIGERIA NEEDS NEW NATIONAL MODEL — Convener WITNESS 2026 — Architect of Dialogue_
Credit: Dr Mainasara Umar — Chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal — Citizen TV — “The Untold Conversations Behind Nigeria’s Independence” — Book: ECHOES on Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa_
