Olatunji Akinwande Braithwaite was born on September 17, 1933, in Nigeria. He was a lawyer who established a reputation as a courageous advocate for the public interest, taking on unpopular causes and protecting trade union rights. Braithwaite was part of the legal team that represented Obafemi Awolowo in his treasonable felony trial. He also represented Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti as a client.
In 1978, Braithwaite founded the Nigeria Advance Party (NAP), a political organization that articulated an ideology of egalitarian humanism. He applied to the Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) to register the party for the 1979 election but was unsuccessful due to the commission's claim that the party did not have a sufficient footprint across the country. This rejection did not deter Braithwaite, who continued to pursue his goal of registering the party.
Four years later, in 1982, FEDECO eventually registered NAP, bringing the number of political parties in the country to six. Braithwaite joined the 1983 presidential election as the sixth candidate on the ballot. His message was simple: "together we take the destiny of Nigeria in our hands." He promised to rid the country of what he described as a pestilential generation of political "rats, mosquitoes, and cockroaches."
The 1983 election was won by the ruling National Party of Nigeria, and three months after their return to office, Muhammadu Buhari, the soldier who formerly headed the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport, put an end to the short-lived experiment in civil rule on December 31, 1983. Braithwaite continued his pursuit of knowledge, acquiring two graduate degrees, including a doctorate, over the following three years.
In 1997, at the age of 63, Braithwaite challenged the design of military dictator Sani Abacha to impose himself on the country as an unopposed ruler. His courage inspired others to step forward, including former Inspector-General of Police, Maigari Dikko Yusuf. Upon the return to civil rule in 1999, the Independent National Electoral Commission restored the registration of the NAP as a political party in Nigeria.
However, in 2012, the Commission de-registered the party for not having won any seat in the election cycle. Braithwaite had been clear about his goals, stating that he did not want to win an election through bribery and other evils. He argued that the electoral system could not contain people with integrity. At his death on March 28, 2016, Braithwaite had been a lawyer and defender of the public interest in Nigeria for over 55 years.
Braithwaite is survived by his wife, Grace Simisola Olubanwo Braithwaite, a senior medical doctor, and their five children, including one medical doctor and four lawyers. His legacy is a record of multi-dimensional impact with no need for the adornments of office or accoutrements of power. His entire armoury comprised his intellect, his values, and the force of his belief in the public good.
Key points
- Olatunji Akinwande Braithwaite was a Nigerian lawyer and defender of the public interest who founded the Nigeria Advance Party and ran for president in 1983.
- Braithwaite was a courageous advocate for the public interest, taking on unpopular causes and protecting trade union rights.
- At his death in 2016, Braithwaite had been a lawyer and defender of the public interest in Nigeria for over 55 years.
