By Hon. Femi Kehinde
Chief James Ajibola Idowu Ige, SAN, popularly known as the “Cicero of Esa-Oke,” was one of Nigeria’s most influential legal minds and political figures. He was a master orator, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and a key player in both the First and Second Republics. He had seen and fought many political battles in his lifetime.
In the first Republic, during his tumultuous period, he was the Federal Publicity Secretary of the Action Group in 1962. He was affable, charismatic and a consummate lawyer. He was a polyglot and had seen many wards of the Nigerian prison, but was never battle weary. As a democrat per excellence and an Awoist, who believed in a just, humane and egalitarian society, he lived his life within the ambience of those principled stance until he was murdered in his Solemilia Court home in Bodija, Ibadan on the 23rd December, 2001. Through his political binoculars, he could easily discern what may not be easily discernible by ordinary eye.
The Military overtook the democratic government of Nigeria on the 31st of December, 1983, and thus the collapse of the Second Republic, of which Bola Ige had been a prominent political player as the first democratically elected Executive Governor of Oyo State from the 1st October, 1979 to 30th September, 1983. He was subsequently clamped into various prison wards in Nigeria by the military government of General Muhammadu Buhari as Head of State.
After release from prison by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida, Bola Ige, perhaps from the benefits of hindsight, refused to participate in the various transition programs of the military government, because he knew it would hit a Cul de sac, and rather would according to him, siddon look -(Sit down and look).
This “Siddon Look” policy was a strategic political stance adopted by Chief Bola Ige,during the transition program of General Sani Abacha in the mid1990s.This phrase, derived from the Nigerian Pidgin English “sit down and look,” perfectly captured a philosophy of tactical withdrawal and passive observation in the face of what Ige viewed as a fraudulent democratic process.
During the 1990s, General Sani Abacha initiated a transition-to-civil-rule program. However, many political observers and pro-democracy activists believed the process was designed to fail or to eventually “self-succeed” Abacha as a civilian president. This era was marked by the presence of five political parties, often mockingly referred to by Chief Bola Ige as the “five fingers of a leprous hand”, that were widely seen as subservient to the military junta.
Bola Ige, a staunch Awoist and leader within the Pan-Yoruba group Afenifere, refused to participate in the elections. His policy was built on several key principles.
Ige argued that engaging with the Abacha transition would lend legitimacy to an insincere and undemocratic process.Instead of active rebellion, which often led to imprisonment or exile during that regime, he advocated for staying quiet, observing the unfolding events, and waiting for the inevitable collapse of the flawed system. By “sitting down and looking,” Ige and his associates maintained their political integrity, positioning themselves as the alternative leadership once the military eventually exited.
The policy became a defining characteristic of the progressive opposition in Nigeria at the time. While some critics argued that it left a vacuum for less-principled actors to fill, Ige’s foresight was largely vindicated when the transition program ended abruptly with Abacha’s death in June, 1998.
Following the transition to the Fourth Republic in 1999, the “Siddon Look” practitioners emerged with their reputations intact, allowing Ige to play a central role in the formation of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and subsequently serve as the Attorney General of the Federation.
Interestingly today, the term remains a part of the Nigerian political lexicon, used to describe a deliberate choice to remain neutral or observant during a suspicious or chaotic event.
At the last convention of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) held in Abeokuta on the 15th December 1983, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a sage, philosopher, clairvoyant and visionary leader, bemoaning the fate of democracy in Nigeria, of which he had been a key player for almost five (5) decades, made an epochal speech that was purely valedictory and instructive.
The speech was delivered in the wake of the controversial 1983 general elections, where the UPN had lost to the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) amidst widespread allegations of electoral malpractices.The NPN had become a behemoth capturing virtually all the states of Nigeria. The speech is often cited for its sharp critique of the Nigerian political state and its warning of impending instability.
Awolowo expressed deep disillusionment with the democratic process as it was then being practiced. He remarked:
“I do fervently and will continue fervently to pray that I may be proved wrong. But the present twilight of democracy, individual freedom, and the rule of law will change or might change into utter darkness. But after darkness, and this is a commonplace, comes a glorious dawn. It is, therefore, with a brave heart, with confident hope, and with faith in my unalterable destiny, that I go from this twilight into the darkness, unshaken in my trust in the Providence of God that a glorious dawn will come on the morrow.
“For something within me tells me, loud and clear, that we have embarked on a fruitless search. At the end of the day, when we imagine that the new order is here, we would be terribly disappointed.
In other words, at the threshold of our new social order, we would see for ourselves that, as long as Nigerians remain what they are, nothing clean, principled, ethical, and idealistic can work with them.
I venture to assert that the ills of the nation will not be exorcised, and indeed they will be firmly entrenched, unless God Himself imbues a vast majority of us with a revolutionary change of attitude to life and politics… or unless we succumb to permanent social instability and chaos.”
On the moral Crisis of the leadership, Awolowo argued that the failure of the Second Republic was not just a failure of the ballot box, but a failure of character:
“It is a sad and painful thing to observe that, in our country today, the more highly placed a man is, the more likely he is to be a liar, a cheat, and a deceiver. We have reached a stage where truth is regarded as an enemy, and where the man who speaks it is hounded as a rebel or a nuisance.
As long as we continue to elevate mediocrity and corruption over merit and integrity, the search for a stable democracy will remain an exercise in futility. We must realize that no constitution, however perfect, can work in the hands of men who have no conscience.”
One of the most technical parts of the speech dealt with the mismanagement of the national treasury. He warned that the “landslide” victory would lead to a “landslide” economic collapse:
“I have warned before, and I warn again: our economy is bleeding to death. The reckless spending, the unbridled importation of luxuries, and the total neglect of our productive sectors have brought us to the brink of a precipice.
The current administration (NPN) has turned our foreign reserves into a personal fund for a few. Very soon, the naira will lose its value, and the common man, who was promised ‘Green Revolution’ rice, will find that he can no longer afford to even smell it. The day of reckoning is not years away; it is at the door.”
On the Future of the UPN and His Own Role, as many were calling for him to lead a protest or an insurrection, Awolowo’s paragraphs took a more philosophical, almost valedictory tone:
“Some of you ask, ‘Papa, what do we do now?’ My answer is simple: remain steadfast in the truth. We in the UPN have played our part. We have offered the people Free Education, Free Health, and Integrated Rural Development. If the people have been robbed of these, the responsibility lies with the robbers, and the consequence will be borne by the nation.
I have fought the good fight. I have finished my course. Whether I am here to see the new social order or not, I am satisfied that the seeds we have sown are imperishable. They will grow, and they will flourish, long after the noise of today’s ‘winners’ has been silenced by history.”
Awolowo furthered in his 1983-period reflections by predicting that the people would eventually reclaim their destiny:
“A time will come when the misery of the people will become unbearable, they will then rise by themselves to demand a redirection of their destinies.
My adversaries might say, ‘Who am I to think that if I am sidelined the country might suffer?’ The point, of course, is that the spirit of man knows no barrier, never dies, and can be projected to any part of the world. I am confident that the ideals of social justice and individual liberty which I hold dear, will continue to be projected until they are realized in our lifetime.”
He ended the speech with a call to personal resilience, moving from the political to the spiritual:
“Let no man’s heart fail him. The history of the world is a history of the struggle between light and darkness. For now, the darkness seems to have the upper hand. But I tell you, even in this gloom, I see the rays of a glorious dawn.
My trust in the Providence of God is unshaken. I go into the twilight with a clear conscience, knowing that I have never once compromised the interests of the common man for a mess of pottage. To God be the glory.”
Some few years thereafter, specifically on the 9th of May, 1987, Chief Obafemi Awolowo passed on to join the saints triumphant at the age of 78 years, as if he had lived for a century in the service of mankind. His good deeds still lives after him.
In this present Nigeria political conundrum, the voice of Obafemi Awolowo still echoes and reverberates. The Nigerian political space, in its present disillusionment, still remains a huge cause for concern to every discerning mind.
Oyelagbawo Comprehensive High School is a secondary educational institution located in the Babalomo community within the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. The School was patterned after the popular Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro, in present day Ogun State, that was established in 1963, by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Ford Foundation, the defunct Western Region Government, through the ideas of the founding Fathers- Chief B. Shomade and Dr. Adams Skepson.
However, the name of the school “Oyelagbawo”- Elders are usually far-sighted, and its choice of location “Babalomo”- God knows, are very instructive to our present political malaise as a search point and the need for elders’ introspective look into our present political firmament. What an elder sees while sitting down, a young man from the rooftop of a twenty-five (25) storey Cocoa House, Ibadan, may certainly not see it.
With the monstrous Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), one would still insist that fair play is lost when in a football match between IICC Shooting Stars FC Ibadan and Rangers International FC Enugu. The IICC Shooting stars FC Ibadan is asked to pick the Referee for the match. Oyelagbawo!
In the Yoruba epic film, “Saworoide”, the centerpiece of Tunde Kelani’s 1999 masterpiece, is the mystical talking drum adorned with brass bells, which gives the movie its name- “Saworo” meaning brass bell” and “Ide” meaning brass.
In the fictional town of Jogbo, this drum is much more than a musical instrument. It is a sacred tool of political accountability and spiritual law. The drum acts as a check and balance system.
In Saworoide, the late Alagba Adebayo Faleti plays the character Baba Opalaba, the palace bard and official praise singer, Akigbe to the King of Jogbo. While his role begins as a traditional functionary of the court, it carries significant weight in the film’s exploration of power, ethics, and the duty of the intellectual.
As the palace bard, Baba Opalaba is the custodian of the town’s oral history. He doesn’t just sing praises; he recites the Oriki (lineage epithets) that reminds the King of his ancestors and the weight of the crown. His presence gives the monarchy its cultural legitimacy, framing the King’s authority within the long-standing traditions of Jogbo.
In Yoruba palace culture, the bard is one of the few people allowed to speak truth to power, albeit through metaphors and proverbs. Faleti portrays Opalaba with a quiet, observant dignity. He witnesses Oba Lapite’s descent into corruption and greed. Through his chants, he often inserts subtle warnings or reminders of the “Saworoide” pact, signaling that he knows the King has bypassed the sacred rituals.
One of the most poignant aspects of Faleti’s role is the depiction of the internal struggle of the courtier. He is part of the system, but he is not of the corruption. He serves the “Throne” rather than the “Man”. When Oba Lapite attempts to consolidate power through violence and theft, Opalaba’s discomfort is visible. He observed in a solemn voice and measured tone-
“Yo ma leyin
Oro yi yo ma leyin.
Ajan ti ele…”
That is, a great repercussion is imminent.
He represents the traditional elite who must navigate staying alive under a tyrant while trying to preserve the integrity of the culture they represent.
Beyond the script, Adebayo Faleti was a legendary Yoruba scholar, poet, and actor in real life. His casting brought an unmatched authenticity to the film. His command of the Yoruba language, the nuances, the tonal poetry, and the deep idioms, elevated the movie from a standard drama to a high-art cultural document.
When he speaks or chants in the film, he is not just acting; he is demonstrating the actual power of the Yoruba oral tradition to command attention and respect, even in a palace filled with soldiers and politicians.
Ultimately, Faleti’s role serves as a bridge between the mystical world (the drums and the crown) and the political world. He is the “memory” of the state, reminding both the audience and the characters that while kings may come and go, the culture and the consequences of their actions remain.
In a broader sense, the Saworoide is a powerful allegory for transparency and the power of the collective voice. Even today, it remains one of the most culturally significant symbols in Nigerian cinema, representing the idea that no leader, no matter how powerful, is above the “drums” of public accountability.
In a chanced encounter with Alagba Adebayo Faleti at the Solemilia Court home of Chief Bola Ige, Bodija, Ibadan, in February, 1999, I had a raw experience of Faleti’s interventionist role in human conduct as a soothsayer. Chief Bola Ige was meant to travel abroad and was to leave Ibadan that morning to Lagos. It was few days to the Presidential primary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) of which Bola Ige and Olufalaye were contestants.
A leader in my constituency, Bashorun Saliu Akanni, had informed me of the need to pick him from Oluponna to Ibadan to see Chief Bola Ige before he travels to Lagos that morning for his intending trip abroad. According to him, he had some words of advice for Chief Bola Ige and he wished that I listen to the conversation. Dutifully, I picked him up and we arrived Chief Bola Ige’s house few minutes to 8:00 o’clock in the morning. Chief Bola Ige was ready for the trip to Lagos and we met him at the antic sitting room. Bashorun Akanni told Chief Bola Ige of his mission and gave him a letter and also repeated the content of the letter. In the letter, he advised Chief Bola Ige to shelve his proposed trip abroad to a later date after the presidential primary of the AD.
We were on this brief discussion when Alagba Bayo Faleti breezed into the antic sitting room. Bola Ige welcomed him enthusiastically and said “Seriki, o ma ku ojo meta. I’m on my way out of Ibadan for a trip to the United States”. And Seriki replied him, “Exactly! That was why I came around this morning to advise you against your trip abroad, and to delay your trip ‘til after the outcome of your presidential primary of the AD”. Bashorun Akanni, Chief Bola Ige and myself were surprised that Seriki was on the same direction with Akanni.
The outcome of the presidential primary did not favour Chief Bola Ige and he was already abroad. My respect for Oloye Bayo Faleti blossomed after the outcome of the AD primary presidential election at the D-Rovans Hotel, Ibadan, where majority of the members of the Electoral College were Bola Ige’s bosom friends and loyalists. Oyelagbawo!
May the sacred voice of our Elders now provide for us a complete direction, otherwise we may all echo the words of Professor Olarotimi in his epic play “Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again”!
Hon. (Barr.) Femi Kehinde, MHR is a
Former Member, House of Representatives, National Assembly, Abuja (1999-2003), representing Ayedire-Iwo-Olaoluwa Federal Constituency of Osun State and Principal Partner, Femi Kehinde & Co. Solicitors, Ibadan, Oyo State
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