Ibadan, the erstwhile political capital of the old Western Region, has always played prominent roles in the evolution of party politics in Nigeria.
Not only has it emerged as the pivot of development initiatives which set the pace for other regions, it also played a decisive role at critical moments in Nigeria’s political evolution, often resulting in violent clashes arising from fundamental disagreements between contending powers.
For instance, it was in Ibadan that the crisis which snowballed into the conflagration that consumed the region — and by extension the entire nation — and eventually terminated civil rule in 1966, barely six years after independence, was ignited.
Since then, the Ibadan experience and scenario have continually been referenced as a potential flashpoint whenever political disagreements occur between the established political elite in the region and other vested interests determined to conquer it.
Political actors are often reminded to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, especially in a city whose history remains deeply intertwined with the rise and fall of political movements in Nigeria.
