Our special bond with London(2), by Eric Teniola,
From last week continues the narrative tracing the history of how some past Nigerian leaders were hosted by the British Monarch after it emerged that President Bola Tinubu and his wife would similarly be hosted on March 18 in Windsor Castle instead of Buckingham Palace
On that visit, he was accompanied by Alhaji Nuhu Bamali, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, while he was both Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister. Alhaji Tafawa Balewa was literally begged then by the British Government to help in solving the Rhodesian crisis.
Alhaji Tafawa Balewa had breakfast with Sir Alec Douglas-Home, was received by the Queen, and had a visit from Arthur Bottomley. He was infuriated by one reporter who wondered whether Nigeria was calling the conference just to spite Ghana in some way: ‘We don’t work like that!’ Before being flown home in an RAF transport command Comet he said that despite President Julius Nyerere’s final decision to quit, he still did not think Nigeria should break off relations; and in Lagos he told the familiar welcoming crowd that he was almost certain that the Commonwealth conference in Lagos on January 10, would deal effectively with Rhodesia in a Commonwealth context.
The British Prime Minister, Mr. Harold Wilson, he claimed, had reassured him and heightened his hopes; but he was himself still convinced that economic sanctions alone could not solve the problem. The Daily Times of London called him ‘a knight in shining armour stepping in to confront his dithering counterpart’. As Rhodesia introduced rationing of petrol and diesel fuel, calls were heard for another hasty emergency OAU conference, this time of Heads of State. Alhaji Abubakar demurred that he was considering it, and did later agree to add Nigeria’s name to those willing to meet on January 19; but his hopes rested for the present with Mr. Gooneratne, Arnold Smith’s deputy, who had flown out from London to organise the Commonwealth conference.
On June 12, 1973, Queen Elizabeth (April 21, 1926 – September 8, 2022) hosted General Yakubu Gowon (91) and his wife, Victoria (80), during a state visit at Buckingham Palace. The visit lasted till June 15. The Queen also hosted President Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari (February 25, 1925- December 28, 2018) from March 17 to March 20, 1981. I covered the visit for THE PUNCH at that time. The hotel I lodged in Central London at that time, housed the National Chairman of the NPN, Chief Augustus Meridith Adisa Akinloye (August 19, 1916 – September 18, 2007) and the National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Suleiman Takuma (April 14, 1934 – September 4, 2001). The fear of the two men was that the UPN supporters would organise in London to disrupt the state visit of President Shehu Shagari. In interviews I had with them they were so sure that the UPN supporters would sabotage the visit. Their fears did not come to pass, as most Nigerians in London at that time wore native attires with Nigeria’s flags. The state visit was successful in that cold weather.
On May 9, 1989, Queen Elizabeth hosted General Ibrahim Babangida (85) and his wife, Mariam (November 1, 1948 – December 27, 2009) at the Buckingham Palace. The visit ended on May 12, 1989. Nigeria and South Africa are the only countries so far to be hosted in Buckingham Palace, three times, among African nations. Whereas Congo has been hosted once, same with Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Sudan, Senegal, Morocco, Malawi, Liberia, Kenya, Ghana, Egypt and Ethiopia.
President Jacob Zuma of South Africa and his wife, Thobeka Mabhija Zuma, were hosted between March 3 and March 5, 2010. President John Kuffour of Ghana and his wife, Theresa Kuffour, were hosted between March 13 and 15, 2007. President Thabo Mbeki and his wife, Zanele Dlamini Mbeki were hosted between June 12 and 15, 2001. President Nelson Mandela of South Africa was hosted between July 9 and 12, 1996. President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe was hosted between May 17 and 20, 1994.
President Abdou Diouf of Senegal and his wife, Elizabeth were hosted between November 8 and 11, 1988. King Hassan of Morocco was hosted between July 14 and 17, 1987. President Hastings Kamuzu Banda was hosted between April 16 and 19, 1985 President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and his wife, Betty, were hosted March 22 to 25, 1985. President Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya was hosted from June 12 to 15, 1979. President Julius Nyerere of Tanzania was hosted from November 18 to 21, 1975. President Mobutu Sese Seko of Congo and his wife, Antoinnette, were hosted from December 11 to 14, 1973. President Abboud of Sudan was hosted between May 26 and June 4, 1964.
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From last week continues the narrative tracing the history of how some past Nigerian leaders were hosted by the British Monarch after it emerged that President Bola Tinubu and his wife would similarly be hosted on March 18 in Windsor Castle instead of Buckingham Palace On that visit, he was accompanied by Alhaji Nuhu Bamali, […]
The post Our special bond with London(2), by Eric Teniola appeared first on Vanguard News.
, , Emmanuel Okogba, {authorlink},, , Vanguard News, March 3, 2026, 1:45 am
