Author Of The Fugitive Offender: The Story Of A Political Prisoner Has Passed On

Chief Anthony Enahoro, (22nd July 1923-15th December 2010)

The author of the Fugitive offender: The story of a political prisoner and one of the greatest leaders of democracy in modern Africa, Chief Anthony Enahoro passed away yesterday. He was 87.

Chief Enahoro’s record as the youngest Editor of a mainstream Nigerian newspaper Southern Nigerian Defender at the young age of 21 in 1944 remains unbroken even in the computer age of the 21st century. The Southern Defender was published by the great African leader and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first President of Nigeria. He was also the Editor of Dr. Azikiwe’s Comet in Kano from 1945-49, Associate Editor, West African Pilot, Lagos and Editor-in-Chief Morning Star, 1950-53.

Chief Enahoro joined the great Chief Obafemi Awolowo and other nationalists to form the Action Group party and was the Chairman and Secretary in Ishan Division Council; member Western House of Assembly and later member of the Federal House of Representatives in 1951. He was appointed the Minister of Home Affairs in the old western region. He was the Opposition spokesman on Foreign policy and Legislative Affairs in the Federal House of Representatives, 1959-63. In 1953 he attempted the first motion for the independence of Nigeria in the Nigerian Parliament.

Chief Enahoro was accused of treason as an accomplice of Chief Awolowo, but he escaped to the United Kingdom in 1963. He was extradited from the UK and joined Chief Awolowo in prison, but he was released by the Military Government in 1966.

His memoirs Fugitive offender: The story of a political prisoner chronicled this period of his colourful life.

His last herculean battle was against the tyrannical dictatorship of the despotic General Sani Abacha as the Chairman of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), the frontline pro-democracy group that protested against the military junta of the Abacha from 1994-1998.

Chief Anthony Enahoro will be remembered as one of the founding fathers of the Republic of Nigeria and one of the heroes of Nigerian democracy.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

IBB Did Not Annul The Historic June 12 Presidential Election Alone

M.K.O. Abiola, the Martyr of June 12


Mr. Olatunji Dare,

I read "The Spirit of June 12"; published in The Nation on Tuesday, August 31, 2010, and the numerous responses you received.

The June 12 Crisis has not been critically addressed to actually know the truth, the annulment and how The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and the other brave defenders of justice and democracy challenged the tyranny of the despotic military dictators until the martyrdom of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

Most of our youths have not even read the Saturday June 11, 1994 Epetedo Proclamation of M.K.O. Abiola, and are just reacting from hearsay and not conviction.

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babaginda (IBB) (retd) did not annul the historic June 12 presidential election ALONE.
The late despot General Sani Abacha and their accomplices including Igbo leaders and some Yoruba leaders were partners in crime in the annulment.

I was an insider in the presidential campaign of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and I left when the primaries were cancelled. I knew that the presidential election was being stage-managed and would end in futility.

How can military dictators form two political parties for the electorate?
Is that true democracy?
How can you trust them to follow the rule of law in military dictatorship?
They formed the two political parties of National Republican Convention (NRC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and could as well cancel the primaries and annul the presidential election.

Let us not be overly sentimental about June 12 and get swayed by the hypocrisy of those who want to crucify IBB for the annulment of presidential election of June 12, 1993. He is not the only culprit.
What role did former President Olusegun Obasanjo play?

I am raising these critical salient issues, because of the appalling ignorance of the majority of Nigerians who are always being fooled by the political schemes and scams of the ruling class of the Nigerian kleptocracy of which the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) is the archetypal of a government of kleptomaniacs.

May I advise you to read the historical play "The Mandate of M.K.O Abiola" by Adeleke O. Adeyemi, which I published in 2007.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. – George Santayana.
CODENAME JUNE 12: MANDATE AND MAYHEM A Tragedy on the Greatest Threat Ever to Nigeria’s Ruling Mafia. And How it was Checked.

God save Nigeria from the anomie of corruption and hypocrisy.