Before his final internment, he had about the most unique and elaborate weeklong funeral ceremonies in Nigeria besides Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whereby his body was carried around the five Eastern states, Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, including the nation's capital, Abuja.

Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo (; March 6, 1909 – May 9, 1987 ), commonly known as Awo and often referred to as the sage, was one of Nigeria's founding fathers.

In addition to all these, Awolowo was the first individual in the modern era to be referred to as Leader of the Yorubas ( Yoruba: Asiwaju Omo Oodua ), a title which has come over time to be conventionally ascribed to his direct successors as the recognised political leader of the elders and young members of the Yoruba clans of Nigeria.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo was born on March 6, 1909 in Ikenne, present day Ogun State Nigeria.

Awolowo was Nigeria's foremost federalist.

Awolowo was also the country's leading social democratic politician.

Awolowo was later freed and pardoned by the military administration.

At the beginning of another round of tour of the United States and Canada, Sunny Adé, now known as The Chairman in his home country-Nigeria was appointed a visiting professor of Music at the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife.

His IPP party later merged with the Action Group, led by Obafemi Awolowo, to form the first government in the Western Region of Nigeria, in which Akinloye was appointed the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

According to Ray Ekpu, SSS officials summoned Giwa to their headquarters on 16 October 1986, Ekpu accompanied him to the SSS headquarters at 15 Awolowo road Ikoyi for the interview but was asked to wait outside the interview.

The party's name was adopted in 1964 by Samuel Akintola for his party as part of a process of unseating the left-leaning Action Group led by Obafemi Awolowo from power in the Western region.

Although, Awolowo failed to win the 1979 and 1983 presidential elections of the Second Republic, he polled the second highest number of votes and his polices of free education and health were carried out throughout all the states controlled by his party, the Unity Party of Nigeria.

Ilesa is home to the famous and prestigious Ilesa Grammar School, a school founded by Egbe Atunluse Ilesa and alma mater to many Nigerians including a former Chief Justice of the Federation, Alfa Belgore, a former Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, the former Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof Oye Ibidapo Obe, the former Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, Prof Omole and the current Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, Prof Isaac Adewole.

Shortly afterwards Awolowo and several disciples were arrested, charged, convicted and jailed for conspiring with some Ghanaian authorities under Kwame Nkrumah to overthrow the federal government.

Du Bois, Malawi's Hastings Banda, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, prominent Jamaican barrister Dudley Thompson and Obafemi Awolowo and Jaja Wachuku from Nigeria.

Many institutions in Nigeria honoured him and some regional and national institutions are named after him, including Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State ( formerly University of Ife ) and Obafemi Awolowo Stadium ( formerly the Liberty Stadium ).

His first name, Obafemi, means ' The king loves me ' and the surname Awolowo means ' The mystic, or mysticism, commands honour or respect '.

The party leadership under Awolowo disagreed and replaced Akintola as premier of the West with one of their own supporters.

Excluded from national government, Awolowo and his party faced an increasingly precarious position.

( 1946 ); “ Essentials for Nigeria ’ s Survival .” ( 1965 ); “ Before Us Lies The Open Grave ” ( 1947 ); “ The Future of Pan-Africanism ” ( 1961 ); “ The Realities of African Unity ” ( 1965 ); “ Origins of the Nigerian Civil War ” ( 1969 ); I Believe in a One Nigeria ( 1969 ); Peace Proposals for Ending the Nigerian Civil War ( 1969 ); Dialogue on a New Capital for Nigeria ( 1974 ); “ Creation of More States in Nigeria, A Political Analysis ” ( 1974 ); Democracy with Military Vigilance ( 1974 ); “ Reorientation of Nigerian Ideologies: lecture on 9 December 1976, on eve of the launching of the UNN Endowment Fund ” ( 1976 ); Our Struggle for Freedom ; Onitsha Market Crisis ( 1976 ); Let Us Forgive Our Children, An appeal to the leaders and people of Onitsha during the market crisis ( 1976 ); A Collection of Poems ( 1977 ); Civil War Soliloquies: More Collection of Poems ( 1977 ); “ Themes in African Social and Political Thought ” ( 1978 ); Restoration of Nigerian Democracy ( 1978 ); Matchless Past Performance: My Reply to Chief Awolowo ’ s Challenge ( 1979 ); A Matter of Conscience ( 1979 ); Ideology for Nigeria: Capitalism, Socialism or Welfarism?

Ogun State has produced many of the most important Yoruba leaders, politicians, business leaders and musicians in Nigeria, including Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief MKO Abiola, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Ernest Shonekan, General Oladipo Diya, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Iyalode J A Aromire, Dr. Gbolabo Oyede, Sir G. O Adenuga-Taiwo, Chief Peter Olakeinde Sogbesan, Chief Kuforiji Olubi, Prof Ola Rotimi, Prof Olikoye Ransome Kuti, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Prof Onabamiro, Dr. Tai Solarin, Dr Efunbo Dosekun, Otunba Subomi Balogun, Chief Oba Otudeko, Chief Mike Adenuga, prof. Ogunlesi professor of medicine in Nigeria, Chief Olu Oyesanya, founder of the Nigerian Union of Journalists and Chief Gabriel Yemi Adetayo.

Osun State is home to several of Nigeria's most famous landmarks, including the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria's pre-eminent institution of higher learning.

Federal Government Prime Minister Balewa declared martial law in the Western Region and arrested Awolowo and other members of his faction charged them with treason.

* 1909 – Obafemi Awolowo, Nigerian politician ( d. 1987 )

The Yoruba-dominated AG became the opposition under its charismatic leader Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

The Northerners were at odds with the Aburi Accord ; Obafemi Awolowo, the leader of the Western Region warned that if the Eastern Region seceded, the Western Region would also, which persuaded the northerners.

In 1951, he became the leader of the Opposition to the government of Obafemi Awolowo in the Western Region's House of Assembly.

In 1949 Awolowo founded the Nigerian Tribune, the oldest surviving private Nigerian newspaper, which he used to spread nationalist consciousness among his fellow Nigerians.

Serious disagreements between Awolowo and Akintola on how to run the western region led the latter to an alliance with the Tafawa Balewa-led NPC federal government.

Awolowo pioneered free health care till the age of 18 in Nigeria in the Western Region and also free and mandatory primary education.

Awolowo is remembered for his remarkable integrity, ardent nationalism, principled and virile opposition and dogged federalistic convictions.

Awolowo died peacefully at his Ikenne home, the Efunyela Hall ( so named after his mother ), on May 9, 1987, at 78, amid tributes across political and ethno-religious divides.

Today a mid-sized city, Ife is home to both the Obafemi Awolowo University and the Natural History Museum of Nigeria.

The Senior Advocates of Nigeria included Late Chief Sowemimo, Chief Fatai Atanda Williams, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Prince Bola Ajibola, Kehinde Sofola, Abayomi Sogbesan, Kehinde Onafowokan, Pa Abraham Adesanya, Otunba Sholanke Onasanya.

Amongst the best are: Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Anambra state, Bayero University Kano, University of Benin, University of Nigeria, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Lagos State University College of medicine, University of Maiduguri, Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences ( Olabisi Onabanjo University-former Ogun State University ), University of Port-Harcourt, University of Ilorin, University of Calabar, College of Medicine Enugu State University of science and technology, University of Jos, Ahmadu Bello University and the Niger Delta University Wilberforce Island Amasomma, Bayelsa State.

* Babs Fafunwa, Emeritus Professor of Education ; First Dean of the Faculty of Education and Acting Vice-Chancellor, University of Nigeria ( 1964-1966 ); Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and the first Nigerian recipient of a doctoral degree in education ; former Federal Minister of Education

A Professor of Political Science, he received his degrees, BSc Political Science, MSc International Relations and Diploma in French from the University of Ife, Nigeria ( now Obafemi Awolowo University ).

Chief Obafemi Awolowo is revered as one of the founding fathers of Nigeria, along side Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe and Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, the late Sardauna of Sokoto.

After completing her doctoral work in early childhood development, she accepted her first academic position at the University of Ife ( now Obafemi Awolowo University ) in Nigeria, teaching in both the departments of education and psychology.

University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University ( OAU ).

Hotels in Ilé-Ife include Hotel Diganga Ife-Ibadan road, Mayfair Hotel, Obafemi Awolowo University Guest House etc.