Anthony Enahoro died this morning.
Born in 1923 in Uromi, present day Edo state, he was the eldest of twelve children. He was educated at Government College, Uromi, Government School, Owo, and King’s College, Lagos and by age 21 had become Nigeria’s youngest editor when he joined the Southern Nigerian Defender, Nnamdi Azikiwe’s paper which was based in Ibadan. He was to follow Azikiwe to the Comet and then the West African Pilot before becoming Editor-in-Chief at the Morning Star between 1950 and 1953.
He joined the Action Group, and was in the Federal House of Representatives by 1951. It was there that arguably his most famous moment occurred, when in 1953 he moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence. Although the motion did not carry at the time, Nigeria got independence seven years later, and Enahoro remained in the House of Representatives as an opposition member until 1962.
During the Western region crisis of ’62, Enahoro was accused of treason. He escaped to the UK in 1963, but was extradited and faced trial along with Obafemi Awolowo. He was sentenced to 10 years. However, after the coup of 1966, he was released, and served as Minister for Information and Labour in Yakubu Gowon’s regime from 1967 to 1974. During the Second Republic (1979 – ’83) he was a member of the National Party of Nigeria.
Enahoro was the chairman of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) during the Abacha years. His public visibility had dwindled in recent years due to failing health. He leaves behind a wife Helen and five children.
