Ladoke Akintola: The Thunder of History 

BY SUNDAY DARE 

On Thursday, we gathered in Ibadan not merely to remember the man SL Akintola but to reverence the enduring spirit of courage, intellect, and sacrifice of the Sage, Akintola. 

Sixty years after his passing, the name Samuel Ladoke Akintola still evokes strong sentiment and resounds —not as an echo of the past, but as a mirror of the present.

Chief Akintola was a man of many parts:

A man of great intellectual acumen,

A mind swift, fearless, incandescent.

A speaker who did not lean on notes, because his convictions were already written in his soul.

A statesman whose wit disarmed, whose candor stirred, whose charm persuaded, and whose vision unsettled complacency.

He was not merely a politician -he was an idea in motion.

Chief Akintola was a nationalist in the purest sense —one who believed that leadership was not comfort, but burden; not privilege, but sacrifice. He lived standing. He spoke standing. And he died standing—in service to his fatherland.

Chief Akintola occupies a permanent place in the architecture of modern Nigeria. As Premier of the defunct Western Region and Aare-Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, he governed at a time when political leadership was not ceremonial, but consequential—when decisions shaped the economic, social, and cultural foundations of entire regions.

His administration pursued development as a matter of urgency: industrial growth, regional self-reliance, education, and the strengthening of public institutions were not abstract ideals, but measurable goals. In the Western Region, governance was understood as a tool for building prosperity, not merely exercising power.

Akintola’s political philosophy was rooted in pragmatism, not sentiment. He believed that leadership must confront reality as it is, not as it is wished to be. His vision of federalism recognized the importance of strong regions contributing to a strong nation, and he championed the idea that economic progress, social cohesion, and national stability must rise together. His ideals were shaped by an unshakable confidence in the Nigerian project, even when that project was fragile and contested.

These ideals are still valid today.

His tragic death during Nigeria’s first military coup was not just the loss of a leader, but a turning point in the nation’s democratic journey. It marked the end of a formative era and the beginning of a long national struggle to define the relationship between power, unity, and governance. Yet, six decades later, the questions he wrestled with remain strikingly relevant: How do we manage diversity? How do we balance regional strength with national unity? How do we reform systems without tearing the fabric of the nation?

Today’s Nigeria still echoes these debates. In our search for economic renewal, social cohesion, and institutional reform, we are once again reminded that progress requires courage, clarity, and a willingness to challenge the status quo.

Chief Ladoke Akintola’s life stands as a mirror to our present—urging us to govern with vision, to lead with conviction, and to remember that the true measure of leadership is not popularity, but impact.

I hold Late Chief Ladoke Akintola in the highest admiration. I reflect often on the political school of thought from which he emerged—the same lineage of vision, reform, and resilience that Akintola championed.

Draw a line from late Akintola to President Bola Tinubu you will learn a profound lesson: that leadership is not about safety, but about purpose; not about applause, but about posterity. This is what President Tinubu is about.

Chief Akintola’s life reminds us that the path of reform is never smooth—but it is always necessary. Today, as Nigeria continues her journey of renewal, his ideals still speak.

That unity must be nurtured, not assumed.

That courage must guide policy.

That progress demands sacrifice.

And that leadership must be anchored in service.

Sixty years on, we gather not in mourning, but in gratitude. Gratitude for a life that burned bright, for a voice that dared to speak, for a legacy that refuses to fade.

Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola did not live too long—but he lived well and looms large. He did not die in silence—he entered eternity in the thunder of history.

And today, Nigeria remembers.

May his ideals continue to guide us.

May his courage strengthen us.

May his sacrifice remind us that nationhood is worth every price.

Adieu. SL

-Dare is Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communication