35 Facts About Babatunji Olowofoyeku

Babatunji Olowofoyeku, OFR, SAN, was a Nigerian politician, educationist, lawyer and leader, a Yoruba and native of Ilesha in Osun State of Nigeria, whose political career started in the mid-1950s.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was born about three years after this new colonial entity had been created by the British.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku's father died a few months before he was born.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku's mother enrolled him at the age of 5 at Otapete Methodist School and he was baptised there in the Methodist Church in 1924 and assumed the Christian name "Daniel".

Babatunji Olowofoyeku later dropped the middle name "Daniel" as protest against his perceived oppression by the colonial authorities.

In 1932, Babatunji Olowofoyeku accepted a starting position as a pupil teacher at Otapete Methodist School, before beginning his teacher training at St Andrew's College.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku taught at Oduduwa College from October 1942 until 1943.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku's students included Richard Akinjide, later Attorney General of Nigeria.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku moved to Ijebu-Ode to take up an appointment as the 3rd Principal of Olu-Iwa College, serving from January 1949 until December 1949.

In defence of a lawsuit initiated against him in 1948, Babatunji Olowofoyeku researched and provided instructions to his defence attorney in court.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku left Nigeria in December 1949 and passed the LLB in June 1952.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku passed the English Bar exams, and was invited to the Bar association as a barrister-at-law.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was the first Ijesha man called to the English Bar.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku returned to Nigeria just before Christmas in 1952.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku had experienced the social injustices and powerlessness associated with his prejudicial treatment as a student at St Andrew's College, and was determined to find a political platform to fight against the system that created it.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku joined the NCNC in 1952, and became an executive member of the NCNC under Azikiwe in 1954.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was elected as chairman of Ilesha Urban District Council in 1956, and in the same year won his election to the Western Region's House of Assembly.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was a member of the NCNC delegates' team to the Nigerian Constitutional Conferences in London of 1957 and 1958, the objectives of which were to seek Nigerian Independence from Britain.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was elected into the Western House of Assembly in 1956 on the platform of the NCNC representing Ilesha Central Constituency.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was a member of the NCNC Committee on Africa and Foreign Affairs.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku headed the NCNC Legal Defence Committee, which included Richard Akinjide, Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya, Kehinde Sofola, and Tunji Ogunbiyi.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was a distinguished opposition House member even though not a member of Action Group, the ruling party of Obafemi Awolowo.

Awolowo's assessment of the political abilities of Babatunji Olowofoyeku was that: "He [Babatunji Olowofoyeku] had a good sense of justice and belief in democracy".

In 1963, Babatunji Olowofoyeku was appointed Minister of Education, replacing Sanya Onabamiro.

However, after the creation of the Mid-Western State in July 1963, Babatunji Olowofoyeku was installed as Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Western Region from 26 September 1963.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was at the same time appointed a Queen's Counsel by the British Government, as recognition of his official legal duties to the Commonwealth.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku escaped an assassin's bullet by a few inches during a campaign rally near Ilesha.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was arrested and taken into custody by the Military Government on 30 January 1966 and detained for six months.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was first detained at Agodi in Ibadan and later transferred to KiriKiri in Lagos.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was allowed very limited family visitation rights throughout his political incarceration at KiriKiri.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was released after the second counter coup on 29 July 1966 that was carried out by soldiers of Northern Nigerian extraction who replaced the old military regime of Major-General Aguiyi-Ironsi.

On his return to Nigeria late in 1967, Babatunji Olowofoyeku moved to Lagos and re-opened his law practice in Western House on Broad Street near the Lagos High Court.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku continued to practice law for many years, during which time he was one of the first 20 to be appointed as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku later relocated his legal practice to his home in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Babatunji Olowofoyeku was married, and had 17 children.