1. Sidiq Koya succeeded to the leadership of the mostly Indo-Fijian National Federation Party on the death of the party's founder, AD Patel, in October 1969, remaining in this post until 1977.
20 Facts About Sidiq Koya
1. 2.
Sidiq Koya later served a second term as leader of the NFP, from 1984 to 1987.
3.
Sidiq Koya was more willing to compromise than his predecessor, and he was instrumental in persuading his party and his people to accept independence with a communal franchise.
4.
Sidiq Koya Khoja was born in Ba District to a prominent Muslim Indo-Fijian Malabar Muslims-family, whose parents emigrated from the Indian state of Kerala.
5.
Sidiq Koya only went to year six in primary school and never saw the doors of a high school.
6.
Sidiq Koya then travelled to Tasmania to obtain his law degree from the University of Tasmania.
7.
Sidiq Koya has six grandchildren, Aleisha, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Zane, Akif and Farhaan who now reside in Australia, Canada and Fiji.
8.
Ayodhya Prasad managed to get Sidiq Koya ousted from the Kisan Sangh but paid a heavy price for this as Sidiq Koya worked against Ayodhya Prasad to have him defeated in the 1959 Legislative Council election.
9.
Sidiq Koya served as President and Speaker of the Then India Maunatul Islam Association of Fiji, an organisation representing Muslims of South Indian origin in Fiji.
10.
Sidiq Koya was one of the founding members of the Federation of Cane Growers, formed in 1959 to negotiate the new cane contract with the Colonial Sugar Refining Company.
11.
Sidiq Koya formed close ties with AD Patel and rose to prominence as the sugar cane dispute continued.
12.
Sidiq Koya involved himself with other industrial disputes in Fiji in 1959 by defending union leaders involved in strikes.
13.
Sidiq Koya narrowly defeated James Shankar Singh of Ba by 3998 votes to 3480 votes, making him the first Muslim to be elected to the Legislative Council.
14.
Sidiq Koya was responsible for drafting the constitution of the Federation Party which came into existence on 21 June 1964, making it the first political party in Fiji.
15.
Sidiq Koya easily retained his seat at the 1966 general election and the 1968 by-election.
16.
Sidiq Koya adopted a conciliatory style of leadership and soon had an agreement with the leader of the Alliance Party, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, for independence for Fiji.
17.
Sidiq Koya led his National Federation Party to a narrow victory, and would have become Prime Minister, but internal party strife resulted in the Governor General, Ratu Sir George Cakobau, calling on the defeated Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, to form a new government.
18.
Sidiq Koya lost his parliamentary seat to Jai Ram Reddy, who became the new leader of the NFP.
19.
The NFP had re-united for the 1982 elections and Sidiq Koya regained his seat in the general election held that year.
20.
Sidiq Koya was not far from controversy, and after being accused of favouring his own supporters, lost a crucial by-election in 1985.