The Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Oyo State, Prince Dotun Oyelade, has described Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola and Obafemi Awolowo as political siamese twins of modern age.
The Commissioner said this while presenting a paper titled, “SAMUEL LADOKE AKINTOLA; A CLASSIC CASE OF MEDIA BEFUDDLEMENT” at the 2024 S.L Akintola Memorial Lecture held in Ibadan.
He explained that the late sages had lots in common, including being politicians, lawyers, journalists, and administrators of note.
“To be sure, Akintola and Awolowo were political siamese twins, and their combination was made in heaven. One was exactly what the other was not. Indeed, Awolowo conceded political grand-standing to SLA because, while SLA was given with the gift of the garb, Awolowo was taciturn and a little bit distant,” he said.
Prince Oyelade, however decried how the media understated Akintola’s achievements as a Premier of the Western Region and the Aare Ona Kakanfo (generalissimo) XIII of Yorubaland, noting that he was one of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria, according to the Independent.
He, however, frowned at the University of Ife in 1961 was never credited to Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, who at the time was the Premier of western region.
“Equally baffling is the refusal to credit SLA with the establishment of the Daily Sketch newspaper, which was founded by the regional government on December 2, 1964 under his watch as Premier, he added.
