Love him or hate him — history can’t ignore S. L. AKINTOLA
Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola was not a perfect man, but he was a brilliant political mind and a builder of the Western Region whose achievements still echo today.
– He became the premier of the Western Region in 1 October 1960 – 15 January 1966.
– He was known for driving infrastructure development to rural areas.
– He supported a federal system of government with a strong center. This was part of his radical ideology which didn’t sit well with Awolowo who preferred a Regional Autonomy.
As Premier of the Western Region, Akintola believed that politics must translate to concrete development, not just ideology and speeches. So people must do whatever it takes to attract development.
Under his leadership, the Western Region witnessed:
• Massive industrial expansion beyond cocoa
• Strengthening of Ibadan as an administrative and economic hub.
• Expansion of road networks and urban infrastructure.
• Promotion of indigenous participation in business and governance
• A firm belief that the West must engage the federal centre to protect its interests, not isolate itself- this was another major disagreement he had with Awolowo who preferred to exclude the Western Region from relating with the center.
Akintola understood something many politicians still don’t:
opposition for opposition’s sake does not build roads, schools or industries.
While others focused on ideological purity, Akintola focused on power, negotiation and results.
He knew that regions grow when leaders are pragmatic, not when they are loud.
History later punished him with controversy, but fairness demands this truth:
the Western Region did not collapse under Akintola — it expanded, modernised and asserted itself.
You may disagree with his politics, but you cannot deny his courage to think differently and act boldly.
Nigeria needs fewer saints in politics and more builders with conviction.
Study history deeply. It is never black and white.
Every leader needs a pragmatist like Akintola who thinks differently and is not afraid to let you know his plans.
While Awolowo was intelligent but extremely conservative. Doesn’t want to relate with the North, always fighting with ZIK, Akintola believes those fights were unnecessary.
He believed the Western Region must cut off unnecessary fights with the ZIK NCNC and NPC federal government and should rather associate with them to attract federal projects back home.
History may have misinterpreted his ways but all the failures of the Action Group to have a strong national presence prove that he was right.
And since 1999 history has proven that his ideology is right, tested by time. As you see opposition politicians moving to have a relationship with the government at the center.
In this present government Akintola’s ideology has spoken even more. You can see that opposition in Nigeria has collapsed into the central government.
And what each one of them says is, “We just want to connect our people to the center.”
Akintola once said, “Opposition politics is useless for its own sake. It doesn’t build roads or schools.”
And he’s right judging by what we see today.
Every leader needs an Akintola in his life. That guy who’s practical, who doesn’t always like your slow and steady approach. Who has a more practical approach.
And if we’re simple enough to listen and use his energy, we’ll get results.
Let’s say Awolowo was the intelligent brainer who didn’t know how to relate.
Akintola was not too intelligent but he’s the street smart who knows how to go to his enemies to get things.
If you watch, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu politics from 2007 has been guided by the Akintola ideology. And that’s why the South West will remain relevant for the nearest future.
It is the ideology that wins elections.
Ugoji Maximillian Speaker, Author, Entrepreneur and believer in the beauty that’s in humanity.