2023 Presidency: The Untold story of Funmilayos from Yoruba Land in Nigeria
By Harrison Nwachukwu
- Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, Heroine of the Nigerian Motherland
The Untold story of Funmilayos from Yoruba Land in Nigeria as Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, Heroine of the Nigeria came to mind, when the N-POWER GROUP (U WIN, I WIN) against 2023 Presidential election, has now endorsed a prominent 2019 ex-presidential candidate. Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies at the meeting of their national executives was endorsed and this they came to declare and communicate on Wednesday January 5, 2022, at a courtesy call paid to her at her residence in Port Harcourt as a viable presidential candidate.
This came in the wake of some groups nominating their Presidential aspirants at the beginning of the new year, 2023. Hon. OGBUKWU ANTHONY (DG Rivers State) said her nomination is due to her intelligence, creativity, consistency, developmental strides, motherly disposition and mentorship towards the students community and society at large. Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies did not only commend The N-POWER GROUP (U WIN, I WIN), but has also accepted their nomination encouraging them to continue with their campaigns on her behalf.
N-POWER GROUP (U WIN, I WIN) is an association initiated by, and made up of Nigerian daring and formidable Youths in the 36 States of the country. N-POWER GROUP (U WIN, I WIN) is already drawing participants from LGA to LGA, state to state and the entire country towards the 2023 elections.
Amb. Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies is an household name in the annals of Nigeria politics whose exploits in the game of politics actively dominated by men could not be swept underneath. Having paid her dues in humanity services and to the nation as a whole, she has decided to venture into race for the topmost position in the Nigeria political realm being dominated mainly by men. She is a frontline female Presidential aspirant on the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the forthcoming 2023 Presidential Election in the country.
Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, a linguist educationist, public servant since 1988 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has served as a University lecturer and administrator for thirty-six years, 1985 to-date as a consultant, researcher and activist to-date. A multi-talented teacher of teachers is a member of POLAC Int’l Peace Advocate, who currently serves as the Country President, International Director, as well as the Deputy Chairperson on the Board, serving humanity towards achieving ECOWAS Millennium Goals. POLAC – Positive Livelihood Award Centre, alias UN-POLAC ‘s mandate is to enhance the effectiveness of the UN Millennium Development Goals and UNESCO Culture of Peace Programme particularly the maintenance of peace and unity in diversity.
She is not new to the political terrain, her political journey started with the Accord Party in Kwara state in the 80s before I joined the People’s Democratic Party in the 90s. This informed her declaration to contest the 2019 Presidential election under the People’s Democratic Party, but she later moved to Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA) where she emerged as the party’s flag bearer for the 2019 election. She is currently back to PDP, her former party, where she intends to contest for the presidential election of 2023. She has my own godly style, and cannot be discouraged or intimidated by any die-hard politicians.
Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies hails from Ira, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. In the political parlance, once an ardent Member of ACCORD Party in Kwara State over the years, then a prominent People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member, and presidential aspirant in 2019, she later emerged as the presidential candidate of Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA) in the 2019 election. She is the editor and co-author of the celebrated and popular presidential endorsed book, Jonathan/ Sambo Presidency in Nigeria: A Symbol of Peace, Unity and Progress, placed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in every University and National libraries of the Country, in line with the Commission’s continued efforts to promote publications, research quality and global visibility of academic staff in the Nigerian University System.
Princess Mercy Adesanya-Davies, from a royal lineage, was born on October 15th, 1962 and always believes in “Power to the Women and to the Youth of this generation for the prosterity of our unborn children.” She says “when a woman is in power, the Youth and Children are better empowered and catered for, so also is the entire society.” As a member of Women for Change Initiatives, within the power play of PDP in 2017, she saw the need for the registration of a party as APDP – Advanced Peoples’ Democratic Party, if the Makafi-faction of the PDP had not won.
A versatile academic and educational prodigy, prolific journalist, widely read, travelled, linguist, poet, author, editor, pastor, psychologist, activist, expert in the field of communication studies, who was in the Versity in the 80s, when Nigerian Universities were well respected in the global academic community, her vision is to pay back to the Nigerian community which nurtured her to the current status.
It is a fact that Nigeria has opened the ground for Nigerian women, as such, her ticket is that of Nigeria, as the nomination form is free for women. Thanks to the nation – Nigeria and all political parties which has agreed that the ladies could pick our forms politically at all levels for free while they pay only the token for expression of interest. So, her presidential nomination form is free. Nigeria is confident that the current challenges in the country can only be tackled by the women, and that is one of the foremost reasons for their decision.
Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies has the dream, that one day, a woman will emerge as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the dream is now !!!” This is because, “if Nigerians elect a female president, it will be a turning point in the nation’s history. It will also be an honour to have Nigeria’s first female president. If Nigeria can give women a chance to rule, I am sure we will never regret it.” She is usually being known and popularly referred to on Socio media as PMA-CHOICE! She says “THE REAL CHANGE IS HERE!
Gender inclusion has now become imperative globally and as such in Nigeria, successful election and governance would be based on this, as the next phase of political leadership takes shape. This we can glaringly observe in the case of Kamala Harris in the last US election, and other female presidency as in Liberia. This is why the role and position of Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies becomes very important. She is a versatile academic and educational prodigy, prolific journalist, widely read, travelled, linguist, poet, author, editor, pastor, psychologist, activist, expert in the field of communication studies, who was in the Versity in the 80s, when Nigerian Universities were well respected in the global academic community, her vision is to pay back to the Nigerian community which nurtured her to the current status.
Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies a credible woman of impeccable character, she believes in determination, professionalism, excellence, accomplishment and experience. One who cherishes the ideals of a democratic, free and egalitarian society, she thus emerged as the ticket bearer of MAJA and a female candidate in 2019. She is known for her leadership prowess and competence, strategic mind, ability and skills, vocal audacity, strong presence and personality. She demonstrates resilience as well as versatility, locally, nationally and internationally and political interest, education, humanitarian activities, general experience in administration. She is very passionate about the transformation, development, progress and unity of Nigeria, she is an accomplished educationist, who believes she can boost Nigeria’s Human Capital Development Index and its Competitiveness in the area of skills and talent management.
Mercy is an academic and educational consultant, on professorial cadre, at Rivers State University of Education, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, where she has lectured in language, linguistics and communication studies in the past thirty-two years. She also facilitates courses in Language and General Studies at the National Open University, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria and has served on sabbatical, as Deputy Provost at Life gate College of Education, Ilorin; Kwara State, Nigeria; Dean at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of Regent University of Science and Technology, Accra, Ghana and a Visiting Professor to the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. Mercy, an international educationist, is an External Examiner, supervisor of Doctoral dissertations, for the School of Postgraduate Studies of one of the African number One Universities, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Mercy Davies facilitates Seminars and Workshops for Longman Pearson, Nigeria and Cinefores, Brainfriend Project, Lagos, Nigeria.
She has over one hundred national and international published articles, books and poems to her credit and has delivered several scholarly, professional and public lectures in Nigeria, Africa, UK, Europe, United States, Canada, etc. Mercy is a member of; The British Association for Applied Linguistics (UK), Internationale de Linguistiquee (AILA), International Phonetics Association, UK., Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN) Nigeria, The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), and Teachers Registration Council (TRC) Nigeria etc. She also serves as External Examiner supervising Doctoral dissertations for the School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. She wrote several books on ENDSARS and CONSTRUCTION REVIEW last year all published in 8 languages.
Winner of several awards which include:
a. Great Woman of the 21st Century Award by American Biographical Institute USA
b. Woman of the Year Award by International Biographical Centre (IBC) UK
c. The Teaching Excellence Award by American Biographical Institute (ABI)
d. The Achievement in Research Award by American Biographical Institute (ABI)USA
e. Universal Federation Ambassador of Peace Award. Nigeria
f. The Best Adjudicator Award- South–South University Debate Championship, University of Calabar
g. Human Capital Development and Good Governance Award, Abuja, Nigeria
h. Legend of Courage Award, Merit house, Abuja, Nigeria
i. UN-POLAC World Peace Ambassador Award (Amb.P.) Merit House, Abuja, Nigeria
j. Nigeria Woman of Excellence Merit Award, (WEMA), with the theme ‘Women Inspiring
k. Positive Change’ in commemoration of international Women’s Day (IWD), 2014
l. African Achievers Merit Award by The Africa Media Executives, Accra, Ghana, 2014
m. Great African Legacy Award by Noble Global News Magazine, Dubai, UAE, 2014
n. Nigeria Woman of the Year Award, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, 2014
o. Nelson Mandela Life of Legendary Achievement Medal Award, Dubai, UAE, 2014
p. Kwara’s Foremost Scientists and Thinkers Award, Kwara State, Nigeria, 2015
q. Child Dream Award by Child Dream International, Abuja 2016
r. World Ambassador for Christ WAFC, USA, 2017
s. Outstanding Leadership and long service award by National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), 2018
t. Sir Ahmadu Bello Platinum Leadership Award of Excellence, Abuja 2018
u. ‘JARMAN MATASAN AREWA’ (War Lord of the Northern Youths), Abuja 2018
v. The Award of Excellence Leadership for Great contribution and effort in fighting against COVID-19 by Oga Ndi Oga Foundation, 2021.
Mercy Olufunmilayo Adesanya-Davies with her B.A (Ife), M.A English (Ilorin), Ph.D Applied Linguistics & Communication Studies (Port Harcourt) and P.G.D.E (Port Harcourt) holds a Doctor of Divinity (D.D) and Professor of Divinity (Honoris Causa) of Northwestern Christian University, USA. She is also working currently on her second Ph.D in Clinical Linguistics and Psychology at TBU-GE, New York, USA, where she serves as an adjunct professor and consultant. She is the founder and CEO of Prof. Mercy Ade-Davies Intl foundatio (PMADIF).
She is currently in the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 as she commences another Ph.D degree in Clinical Linguistics and Psychology. She believes, “the Coronavirus curve must be flattened and each country should work towards producing their own prevention and cure, booster/vaccine and no one should be left behind in the fight against COVID-19. As she takes a lead in the discovered combo-herbal supplement SAAABMAL for COVID-19 in Nigeria; she has of recent also written over twenty four (24) poetry books on the deadly Coronavirus pandemic, in year 2020.
On the other hand, late Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (1900–1978) was a leading activist during Nigerian women’s anti-colonial struggles. She founded the Abeokuta Women’s Union, one of the most impressive women’s organizations of the twentieth century (with a membership estimated to have reached up to 20,000 women), which fought to protect and further the rights of women. She was that Nigerian teacher and feminist who led her country-women in protest against the British colonial government (1943–49).
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was born in Abeokuta, in present-day Ogun State, Nigeria. She was one of the first women to attend Abeokuta Grammar School in 1914, where she would go on to teach. In 1919 she left for Wincham Hall School for Girls, Cheshire, England, to pursue her studies. By the time of her return to Nigeria in 1922, no doubt in reaction to the racism she had encountered in Britain, she had dropped her Christian name, Frances Abigail.
Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (or Anikulapo-Kuti) was born‘on 25 October 1900 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. She was an educator, political campaigner, women’s rights and anti-colonial activist. She is popularly known as the mother of legendary Nigerian musician/activist Fela Kuti, whose criticisms of Nigeria’s military governments she fervently supported.
Funmilayo was one of the most prominent women leaders of her generation. She was among the first 6 girls to study at Abeokuta Grammar School, where she later worked as a teacher, and is known to be the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria. She soon became associated with some of the most important anti-colonial educational movements in Nigeria and Africa; and fought tirelessly to further women’s access to education and political representation using her privilege to coordinate resistance. Ransome-Kuti received the Lenin Peace Prize and was awarded membership in the Order of the Niger for her work.
She was daughter to Chief Daniel Olumeyuwa Thomas (1869–1954) and Lucretia Phyllis Omoyeni Adeosolu (1874–1956), and a descendant of Sarah Taiwo, a Yoruba woman who had been captured by slave traders in the early 19th century before eventually returning home to her family in Abeokuta.
She founded the Abeokuta Women’s Union (AWU) in the late 1940s, one of the most impressive women’s organizations of the twentieth century (20,000 members + 100,000 supporters), which fought to protect and further the rights of women. She founded the union with Grace Eniola Soyinka, her in-law and mother of Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, to challenge both colonial rule and the patriarchal structure.
Their most prominent revolt was against the unfair taxes on market women in Abeokuta, which saw womens’ economic roles decline, while their taxes increased. In mid-October 1946, Funmilayo led protests of up to 10,000 women, which later forced the ruling Alake (king) to temporarily abdicate in 1949. Response to the protests from the colonial authorities was brutal. They used tear gas and inflecting beatings on the women, who were labelled as “vipers that could not be tamed”.
The Abeokuta Women’s Union (AWU) members continued to protest the tax, fighting with petitions, press conferences, letters to newspapers, and demonstrations. To put more pressure on authorities, they publicly refused to pay taxes, staged vigils outside the Alake’s palace, and called for an audit of financial records. In late 1947, Abeokuta authorities forbade women from organizing demonstrations, denying them the necessary permits. AWU declared their events as “picnics” and “festivals” instead, drawing up to 10,000 participants – some of which involved altercations with police. Ransome-Kuti trained women to deal with tear gas canisters thrown at them. AWU put its funds towards legal representation for arrested members.
Tensions escalated in 1948 when the Alake banned Ransome-Kuti from political meetings at the palace. AWU members soon blocked the palace entrance and refused a visiting British officer from leaving. After more demonstrations, the Alake finally responded to the women’s demands. As a result of the protests, known as ‘The Abeokuta Women’s Revolt’ or the ‘Egba Women’s Tax Riot’, 4 women received seats on the local council, and the taxation of women was ended. Described by the media as the “Lioness of Lisabi”, Funmilayo’s unwavering commitment informed her active role in Pan-African politics.
Towards AFRICAN UNITY, Funmilayo established a movement that crossed national borders, centered Black unity, and spanned throughout Africa and into the Diaspora. She became a very active member of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, struggling for independence. In 1953 she was one of the speakers at the Pan-African conference called by Kwame Nkrumah in the Gold Coast (now Ghana), with whom she had close ties and heavily influenced his organizing of the Ghana Women’s Association. Funmilayo travelled so widely to foster African independence that the colonial government withdrew her passport in 1956. Her activism at home continued and she became one of the Nigerian representatives at the discussions in London for Nigeria’s independence in 1960.
She soon became associated with some of the most important anti-colonial educational movements in Nigeria and West Africa*, and fought tirelessly to further women’s access to education and political representation. In 1944, she founded the Abeokuta Ladies’ Club (later, the Abeokuta Women’s Union), committed to defending women’s political, social and economic rights, which became one of the most important women’s movements of the twentieth century. Her unwavering commitment to cooperation, solidarity and unity led her to play an active role in politics, notably in the pre-independence constitutional negotiations of 1946.
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a loving wife and mother who raised four successfully children amongst whom is Fela Anikulapo Kuti born on 15 October 1938. The four children were, F̣ẹlá Kútì, Beko Ransome-Kuti, Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, Dolupo Ransome-Kuti. The life of late Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a life of activism and organising. Her children Beko, Olikoye and Fela, would all go on to play important roles in education, healthcare, the arts and political activism.
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, née Thomas become a Head Teacher at the newly formed Abeokuta Grammar School girls’ section at the age of 23, resigning two years later to marry and move to be with her new husband, Reverend I. O. Ransome-Kuti, then head of a more established school in Ijebu-Ode. Having been the first girl ever to enrol at AGS, FRK was determined to ensure that girls had as much access to education as boys, often intervening on behalf of female students in persuading reluctant fathers to send their daughters to secondary school and beyond.
In 1944, having been approached to teach a market woman in Abeokuta to read, FRK began to include market women in the previously elite group she had helped found, the Abeokuta Ladies Circle, in order to ‘help in encouraging learning among the adults and thereby wipe out illiteracy’. Interaction with market women (who bore the brunt of colonial injustice) caused her to mature politically and become increasingly radical. She subsequently led the transformation of the ALC into the Abeokuta Women’s Union (AWU). Her own personal transformation involved giving up Western attire for traditional dress and speaking only Yoruba in public addresses, in solidarity with ‘the common woman’.
Under her leadership, the AWU began to take on the colonial authorities with mass actions and demonstrations. They demanded an end to taxes on women, protested against corruption by the Alake (the British supported king) and his agents, and called for women’s enfranchisement. Its greatest success was achieved when, after months of sustained pressure, the Alake was forced to abdicate, albeit temporarily, in January 1949. Seen as a stooge of the British, his downfall indicated that mass non-violent action by well organised working-class women could bring down a powerful symbol of British colonial rule.
Responding to calls for help from around Nigeria, FRK eventually helped form the Nigerian Women’s Union, of which the AWU became a branch. Abroad, she advised Kwame Nkrumah on the formation of the Ghana Women’s Association, attended women’s conferences around Africa, and became involved with the Women’s International Democratic Federation. She made contact with women’s organisations from countries as varied as India, Vietnam, Bulgaria, China, Trinidad and Korea. She also received many national and international awards, including the Lenin Peace Prize.
Post-independence marginalisation: Despite her prominence in national and international circles, FRK was confined to the fringes of formal party politics in Nigeria. In the jostling for power around independence, she was expelled from the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), the nationalist party of which she had been a founder member.
FRK’s nationalism was expressed at independence when she lamented the fact that the lyrics and music to the new national anthem had been composed by two Brits, albeit both women. Coincidentally, in the year of her passing, the country adopted a new one, which, ironically, the protestors in Lagos had been singing before the army opened fire on them. Within the lyrics to both anthems are a number of illustrations of how the country she had served so faithfully all her life had failed her.
Nigeria, referred to as the Motherland in the original version, became the Fatherland in the year of FRK’s passing. ‘The labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain’ is the prayer in the contemporary version. The continued starvation of the education sector by successive governments has, however, left the country far short of fulfilling the potential FRK saw. We see some of the reasons for this as we find several Nigerian politicians’ names listed among the elite revealed by the Panama and Pandora papers to have spirited away much-needed billions in offshore tax havens.
When young Nigerians gathered to protest such criminality last year, we were left with the saddest, most poignant image – the blood-soaked flag – contrasting most vividly with the desires of FRK and the authors of the first national anthem, who hoped: ‘To hand to our children / A banner without stain.’
The soiled flag is a symbol of the failure of successive governments (entirely male) to embrace people like Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. Her legacy, however, is that there will always be educated girls, and there will always be organised market women. This means that we can hold on to the hope and knowledge that once again, their oppressors can and will eventually be brought down.
A trailblazer in many ways, Ransome-Kuti was also the first Nigerian woman to drive a car. She was also the only woman in Nigeria’s 1947 delegation to London, which lodged a protest and set the nation on the path toward self-government. As one of the few women elected to Nigeria’s house of chiefs, she was recognized for her advocacy work on behalf of women’s rights and education, and revered as the “Lioness of Lisabi” and the “Mother of Africa.” Her daughter—Dolupo—and three sons—Beko, Olikoye, and Fela—likewise became leaders in education, healthcare, and music, continuing their mother’s legacy of activism and advocacy. Funmilayo died on 13 April 1978 (aged 77) after receiving injuries from a military raid.
Bolanle Austen-Peters later secured the rights to film Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti`s story in November 20, 2021. The Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions was happy to announce that it has secured the rights to produce a Biopic on the legendary Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti from the Estate of FRK directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters, the movie has cameo appearances by Funmilayo Ransome Kuti’s grandchildren representing their own parents.
With a working title FUNMILAYO; THE LIONESS OF LISABI, the film hit the big screen in 2022/23. According to Bolanle Austen-Peters, “Having directed the stage version of the story of great women such as “ QUEEN MOREMI”, “OLURONBI” AND “FELA AND THE KALAKUTA QUEENS” (the story of the 27 women that danced and married Fela Ransome Kuti), which is presently acquired by STER Kinekor and being aired as a screenplay in cinemas across South Africa; I am interested in telling the story of this phenomenal woman, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
“She was a woman with many parts and was first in many things. She was the first girl to attend an all-boys school, first woman to drive a car in western Nigeria; a political activist who fought for the rights of women; first woman to found a political party, confronted traditional and colonial authorities in unprecedented mass protests. Apart from these, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a loving wife and mother who raised four successful children amongst whom is Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
“This is an inspirational story. We need positive role modelling for young African women and the world at large. At BAP Productions, we believe in telling uniquely African stories. This is a story of a brave and courageous woman, a leader, an activist and a family woman.”
FUNMILAYO; LIONESS OF LISABI is following the success of other productions from the stables of Bolanle Austen-Peters Production, including: 93 Days which was screened at several international film festivals including, Toronto International Film Festival, Chicago Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival, San Francisco Film Festival, African Film Festival Cologne and Johannesburg Film Festival, winning an award at the festival in Los Angeles.
The Bling Lagosians was credited as being one of the top grossing films of 2019. It was also acknowledged by Netflix as one of the films whose performance ignited their interest in Nigeria.
