Ahmadu Bello

Ahmadu Bello was a conservative Nigerian statesman who masterminded Northern Nigeria through the independence of Nigeria in 1960 and served as its first and only premier from 1954 until his assassination in 1966. He was also the leader of the Northern People's Congress, the ruling party at the time consisting of the Hausa–Fulani elite. He had previously been elected into the regional legislature and later became a government minister. A member of the Sokoto Caliphate dynasty, he made attempts at becoming Sultan of Sokoto before later joining politics. He was a descendant of Uthman dan Fodio, the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, and a grandson of Sultan Atiku na Raba. He received Islamic education at home, where he learnt the Qur'an, Islamic jurisprudence and the traditions of Muhammad. He later attended Sokoto Provincial School and the Katsina Training College (now Barewa College). During his school days, he was known as Ahmadu Rabah. He finished school in 1931 and subsequently became the English teacher in Sokoto Middle School. In 1934, Bello was made the District Head of Rabah by Sultan Hassan dan Mu'azu, succeeding his brother. In 1938, he was promoted to the position of Divisional Head of Gusau and became a member of the Sultan's council. In 1938, at the age of just 28, he made attempts to become the Sultan of Sokoto but was not successful, losing to Sir Siddiq Abubakar III who reigned for 50 years until his death in 1988. The new Sultan immediately made Sir Ahmadu Bello the Sardauna (Crown Prince) of Sokoto, a chieftaincy title, and promoted him to the Sokoto Native Authority Council. These titles automatically made him the Chief Political Adviser to the Sultan. Later, he was put in charge of the Sokoto Province to oversee 47 districts and by 1944, he was back at the Sultan's Palace to work as the Chief Secretary of the State Native Administration. He entered politics in 1949 as a member of the Northern House of Assembly and a representative of the Sokoto Native Authority. In 1951, he was elected to the House of Representatives in Lagos as a member of the Northern People's Congress (NPC), a party that he helped to form. He became the first Premier of Northern Nigeria in 1954. He was a strong advocate of the modernization and unity of Northern Nigeria, and he opposed the secessionist agenda of some southern politicians. He worked to improve the education, health, agriculture, and infrastructure of the region. He also supported the establishment of the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, the second largest university in Africa. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1959. He was assassinated on 15 January 1966 in a military coup led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, an Igbo officer. He died alongside his wife, Hafsatu, and his aide, Ahmed Ben Musa. He was buried in Sokoto, and his tomb is a national monument. He is widely revered in Northern Nigeria as a visionary leader and a symbol of the region's identity and history.