Adegoke Adelabu
Encyclopedia
Gbadamosi Adegoke Adelabu (September 3, 1915 – March 20, 1958) was an important politician
from Ibadan
in the middle part of the 20th century. He was a self made man born into a humble family, but became an influential figure in Nigeria
n politics. He attended Government College, Ibadan
and eventually became a business man. His successful political career was cut short when he was killed in a car crash, not long before Nigeria gained independence from Britain. He has been described as a particularly charismatic, intelligent and hard-working man.
of a scholarship
given by the United Africa Company Nigeria (UAC) for outstanding ability, the first Nigerian to occupy the position of manager
at UAC and the first chairman of the Ibadan
District
Council
. He was also a member of the Western Region
House of Assembly
and served as the federal
Minister
of Social Services and Mineral
Resources. He was also a salesman, a merchant
, a writer
and a journalist
.
, and the politics of tribe
and personality which governed politics
in the Yorùbá
-dominated Western Region
of Nigeria in the 1950s; centered in Ibadan
. As one of the leading Ibadan politician of his time, he championed the cause of the NCNC led by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe
. He co-founded Ibadan Peoples Party
(IPP) with Chief Adisa Akinloye who later became his rival till death and was instrumental in the formation of the Ibadan Taxpayers Association.
Adegoke Adelabu, described as the colossal figure in Ibadan between 1951 and 1958, became the leader of opposition in the western region house of assembly. At the time of his death he had already married 12 times and had 15 children.
and Nigerian history, almost nearly in parentheses as the author of that expression: "penkelemesi", a Yorubanisation of the phrase, "peculiar mess" which Adelabu, known for his deep knowledge of English, had used on an occasion to describe the opposition in the Western Region House of Assembly. Not understanding what he meant, the non-literate section of his audience translated the phrase into vernacular
as "penkelemesi".
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from Ibadan
Ibadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
in the middle part of the 20th century. He was a self made man born into a humble family, but became an influential figure in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n politics. He attended Government College, Ibadan
Government College, Ibadan
Government College Ibadan, , is a "boys only" secondary school located on the hills of Apata Ganga in Ibadan, Nigeria.-History:...
and eventually became a business man. His successful political career was cut short when he was killed in a car crash, not long before Nigeria gained independence from Britain. He has been described as a particularly charismatic, intelligent and hard-working man.
Early life
He was the first beneficiaryBeneficiary
A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example: The beneficiary of a life insurance policy, is the person who receives the payment of the amount of insurance after the death of the insured...
of a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
given by the United Africa Company Nigeria (UAC) for outstanding ability, the first Nigerian to occupy the position of manager
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
at UAC and the first chairman of the Ibadan
Ibadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
District
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
Council
Council
-In politics:* Borough council, a form of local government* City council, a form of local government* Community council, the most local official representative bodies in Scotland and Wales...
. He was also a member of the Western Region
Western Region, Nigeria
The Western Region was a subdivision of the federation of Nigeria until 1967. Its capital was at Ibadan.It was established in the 1930s under British rule as a subdivision of the Southern Nigeria colony...
House of Assembly
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level....
and served as the federal
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
Minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
of Social Services and Mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
Resources. He was also a salesman, a merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
, a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
Political strongman
Chief Adegoke "Penkelemesi" Adelabu was a fiercely independent-minded man who refused to be swayed by the herd mentalityHerd mentality
Herd mentality describes how people are influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviors, follow trends, and/or purchase items. Examples of the herd mentality include stock market trends, fashions in apparel, cars, taste in music, home décor, etc...
, and the politics of tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
and personality which governed politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
in the Yorùbá
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
-dominated Western Region
Western Region, Nigeria
The Western Region was a subdivision of the federation of Nigeria until 1967. Its capital was at Ibadan.It was established in the 1930s under British rule as a subdivision of the Southern Nigeria colony...
of Nigeria in the 1950s; centered in Ibadan
Ibadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
. As one of the leading Ibadan politician of his time, he championed the cause of the NCNC led by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe
Nnamdi Azikiwe
Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe , usually referred to as Nnamdi Azikiwe and popularly known as "Zik", was one of the leading figures of modern Nigerian nationalism who became the first President of Nigeria after Nigeria secured its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960; holding the...
. He co-founded Ibadan Peoples Party
Ibadan Peoples Party
The Ibadan Peoples Party was established on June 15, 1951, by a group of eminent Ibadan indigenes who opposed the politics of tribalism and personality, which held sway in the Yorùbá dominated Western Region, Nigeria in the 1950s...
(IPP) with Chief Adisa Akinloye who later became his rival till death and was instrumental in the formation of the Ibadan Taxpayers Association.
Adegoke Adelabu, described as the colossal figure in Ibadan between 1951 and 1958, became the leader of opposition in the western region house of assembly. At the time of his death he had already married 12 times and had 15 children.
Peculiar mess
Adegoke Adelabu is often mentioned in YorùbáYoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
and Nigerian history, almost nearly in parentheses as the author of that expression: "penkelemesi", a Yorubanisation of the phrase, "peculiar mess" which Adelabu, known for his deep knowledge of English, had used on an occasion to describe the opposition in the Western Region House of Assembly. Not understanding what he meant, the non-literate section of his audience translated the phrase into vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
as "penkelemesi".