Car Talk
Checkout Lists Of Cars Used By Nigerian Politicians Before And After Independence
Nigeria is a country that’s rich in culture and heritage. Every tribe in Nigeria have their custom which is peculiar and sustainable to them all.
Its no news that Nigerian politicians love to ride in exotic cars and love to live in opulence, this has been proven to have long existed even long before independence in Nigeria. As interesting as the lives of these politicians may sound or look like, we do not have a culture to maintain many of their personal belongings like cars, books, houses among others.
AutoReportNG decided to look into the lives of Nigeria politicians and the cars they used before and after independence.
1. Chief Obafemi Awolowo
Chief Obafemi Awolowo is a Nigerian politician, lawyer and well vast in politics and education. In 1950 Awolowo founded and organized the Action Group political party in Western Nigeria to participate in the Western Regional elections of 1951.
The Action Group won a majority, and in 1952 Awolowo as president of the Action Group became the leader of the party in power in Western Nigeria. In 1954 he became the first premier of the Western Region. During his tenure as leader and premier, he held the regional ministerial portfolios of local government, finance, and economic planning. He was also chairman of the Regional Economic Planning Commission.
During the election period, Chief Obafemi Awolowo used an 8 seater Mercedes Benz 230.6. The car was used to travel across the country during his electioneering campaign in 1979 and 1983. Chief Obafemi Awolowo 230.6 grey Mercedes Benz was bought by him in 1970 and this was his official car until 1983. It featured prominently in his Presidential campaign of 1979 and 1983.
2. Samuel Ladoke Akintola
Chief Samuel Ládòkè Akíntọ́lá or “S.L.A.” was a Nigerian politician, lawyer, aristocrat and orator who was born in Ogbomosho, of the then Western Region. Rumour has it that Chief Ladoke Akintola is the first Nigerian to ever use a proof car, this we can’t verify yet.
During his reign as premier of Western Nigerian, a Fleetwood limousine was the official car of the late Premier of Western Nigeria, Samuel Ladoke Akintola. This can be seen in a private museum where it was parked.
3. Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe
Nnamdi Azikiwe, PC, usually referred to as “Zik”, was a Nigerian statesman who was Governor-General of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963 and the first President of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966. Considered a driving force behind the nation’s independence, he came to be known as the “father of Nigerian Nationalism”.
This is Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s car. The car was spotted during a political campaign in 1959 where he was driven around by his chauffer.
4. Murtala Muhammed
General Murtala Muhammed (8 November 1938 – 13 February 1976) was a Nigerian political and military leader who was 4th Head of State of Nigeria in a right-wing military dictatorship from 1975 until his assassination in 1976.
On Friday 13 February 1976, Muhammed set off for work along his usual route on George Street. Shortly after 8 a.m., his Mercedes Benz car travelled slowly in the infamous Lagos traffic near the Federal Secretariat at Ikoyi in Lagos and a group of soldiers (members of an abortive coup led by Dimka) emerged from an adjacent petrol station, ambushed the vehicle and assassinated Muhammed.
Murtala Muhammed was killed, aged 37, along with his aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Akintunde Akinsehinwa, in his black Mercedes Benz saloon car on 13 February 1976. The car was ambushed en route to his office at Dodan Barracks, Lagos. The only visible sign of protection was a pistol carried by his orderly, making his assassination an easy task. The assassination was part of an attempted coup led by Lt. Col Buka Suka Dimka.
The Mercedes Benz was later taken over by the Nigerian Museum. The car is said to attract 2,000 tourists monthly.