Chief Anthony Enahoro

Chief Anthony Enahoro, was born 22 July 1923 to Mr. Asuliemen Okotako Enahoro, in Uromi in the present Edo State of Nigeria. He is known as one of Nigeria’s foremost anti-colonial and pro-democracy activists. Chief Enahoro had a long and distinguished career in the press, politics, the civil service and the pro-democracy movement. 

He had his education first at the Government School Uromi, and then proceeded to Government School Owo and then to the prestigious King’s College, Lagos. Chief Enahoro became the editor of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s newspaper, the Southern Nigerian Defender, Ibadan, in 1944 at the age of 21, which made him  Nigeria’s youngest editor ever. He later became the editor of Zik’s Comet, Kano, from 1945 to 1949. He was also associate editor West African Pilot, Lagos and editor-in-chiefMorning Star, from 1950 to 1953. he used the comet as an avenue to re-invigorate the youths and trade unions in the cause of nationalism. And on this cause he was jailed three times starting in 1945 instead nothing changed but this made him even more popular to his readers. 

He was the founder of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Action Group Party. In 1951 Enahoro won a regional parliamentary election into the Western House of Assembly that was after he joined the political arena. He was later nominated from the assembly to become member of the House of Representatives, a regional Home Affairs minister and also a leader of the Western House of Assembly. In 1953, he attempt to move a motion for Nigeria’s independence in the Nigerian Parliament and later argued the motion in 1956 which was opposed in the parliament  which failed. He became the foreign minister of a shadow government in the early 1960s, and in the year 1962 he and some members of the Action Group in the old western region were sought for questioning on charges of treason during Obafemi Awolowo’s non- proved coup trial, even though some critics said they felt the charges were made to destroy his position, he escaped to United Kingdom in 1963, he was handed over from the UK and imprisoned and was later released in 1966 by the Military Government. Chief Anthony Enahoro is also known for moving  a motion for self government on March 31^st, 1953 which ended up in a crisis. During the government of General Yakubu Gowon 1967 to 1974, Chief Anthony Enahoro emerged as the minister of information and Labour after the break up of the first republic. In the early 1970s he became the president of FESTAC, and during the second republic he was affiliated with the National Party of Nigeria. 

In 1982, he was conferred with the national honour of commander, Order of the Federal Republic, CFR.  And also the Chairman of the Movement for National Reformation, MNR; as well as the Pro-National Conference Organization, PRONACO. He was awarded honorary DSC by the University of Benin in 1972. His publications includes the treaties Fugitive Offender. Chief Anthony Enahoro, emerged as the leader of a pro democracy group called NADECO in the year 1990. And today he is seen as an advocate of a sovereign national conference which serves as an opportunity to restructure Nigeria.