Tunji Braithwaite's son, Olumide, tells OLUFEMI ATOYEBI about his father's relationship with the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Fela Anikulapo Kuti
What are the traits you share with your father?
I am the fourth of his five children; Yele, Mowunmi and Olaoluwa were born before me and I have a little sibling, Ebunoluwa. I am a lawyer like my father and I have already put in 21 years into the profession. I am a socialite who loves keeping interesting companies.
What is it like being Braithwaite's child?
Sometimes, it's a big task being associated with my dad especially in the law profession because a lot of people want you to be like him. He has made giant strides and few people can produce such energetic display consistently over a lifetime that is fast approaching 80 years.
He is a charitable individual with a lot of energy. Despite his privileged background, he associated himself with the emancipation of the grassroots people from hunger, poverty and other forms of sufferings. He has always empathised with the feelings of downtrodden people instead of keeping up with his elite class. He has always felt that he has a duty to serve people who have been deprived of their legitimate rights and that was the philosophy behind his decision to form the National Advance Party in 1978. It was denied registration to contest the 1979 elections but it later took part in the general elections of 1983. So he has a lot of achievements that will be difficult to beat over a short or long period of time.
What quality do you cherish most in your father?
In the preparation of his legal brief, he is very meticulous and I am happy for that training. It prepared me for what I am today and what I aspire to be tomorrow. It distinguishes you from the rest. He often tells me that lawyers of today receive a different kind of training compared to what he got in his days. He still holds his philosophies and ideas that the only way that this country will change for the better is through a revolution. I will draw a reference from his role in the fuel subsidy crisis in 2012, where his life was on the line. He played a frontline role in the protest. He was tear-gassed without apology from the Federal Government or the police except for the visit of the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola to him at home after the unfortunate incident. It tells a lot about the type of individual he is.
Why has the family not prevailed on him to slow down after the tear gas incident?
He is a stubborn man and nobody tells him what to do. He will always tell you not to worry, that he is fighting for us and the unborn generation. When he says that, how do you counter him? He is an energetic individual so if he slows down, there could be problems.
How much acceptance has your father enjoyed as a politician?
Nigeria does not honour its true heroes and that is why people like my father, the late Gani Fawehinmi and Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who was unarguably the most iconic musician in Nigeria, if not in the whole of Africa, are still not celebrated by the nation that produced them. Sometimes, we wait until they are gone before we honour them. But of what value is such honour to anyone?
His political party, NAP, did not do well in the general elections of 1983. Was that not a sign of his rejection by the people?
NAP lost in the elections not because it lacked quality people or enough support from the people. The support was massive and the resources at its disposal were considerable. It is interesting to know that some of the card-carrying members of the party at that time are now governors and lawmakers in Nigeria. A lot of them had told me that my father is a charismatic leader who preaches positive change at all time. But I often ask myself that if the party was so strong, how come it did badly in the general elections? The answer to that is boldly written in the way we have conducted elections in this country.
But my father is a wiser man today, sharper than he was 30 years ago despite his old age. His philosophy has not changed but it is now refined.
How did your father cope with the loss?
Deep down, he was frustrated. NAP had a fantastic manifesto and charismatic leaders. I did not see any political jingle like the one produced by the party until Barack Obama's campaign started. My father funded the party unlike others that had many sponsors.
Your father had a religious background. How much of that reflected in the way he trained his children?
My great-grandfather was in the same class with notable missionaries like Bishop Ajayi-Crowther. My father was the last born of his parents and he lost his father when he was seven. But he had quality training from him which transformed him into what he is today. He was brought up by his mother, Yetunde, who was from a strong Christian family in Lagos.
She trained my father in the tradition of the Anglican Church. He was a member of the Boys Brigade and choir in the church. It was the family tradition in those days for all the children to attend CMS Grammar School after which he travelled to the United Kingdom to study law. He returned in 1961 to start his career in law.
The virtues in the family still exist and when we were born and getting trained by our parents, we were brought up in the same way my father was brought up. He was a strict disciplinarian who would not accept mistakes from a child, especially when the child could do better.
As the son of a prominent lawyer and politician, you must have had a privileged upbringing…
It is true that my father did well in the law profession. He registered Julius Berger in Nigeria when it first came and had other big clients. He could afford to give us what we wanted but he only gave us what we needed. We were not spoilt in any way. We stayed at Norman Williams in Ikoyi and later at Reliance Close in Victoria Island, in those days.
There was always a chapel in the house where we must pray in the morning before we began other daily activities and at night before going to bed. He led the prayers, playing hymns on the piano and reading messages from the Bible. We all learned how to play the piano too. That was the training we all received and it has helped in our different ways of life. It was a close-knit family and love continues to bind us together.
How did he punish a child that misbehaved?
My father was strict in the way he trained his children. My elder sisters told me that I was born at a time when dad no longer had time to discipline children. They said my younger brother and I were pampered. I think I got away with some youthful exuberance.
My father would flog, punish and shout at any erring child in the house. He drew the line we dared not cross. Even the extended family brought stubborn children to be trained by my father in our house and they changed for the better after a few days in the house. My father still lives a disciplined life so if you have to live with him, you must play according to the rules.
How much time did he devote to the family?
He was always travelling because he was a career man with clients in Germany, France and Switzerland. But in fairness to him, he was a family man. He put his children first. He was always actively involved in the planning of our birthday parties. He was the planner of the parties, making sure the chairs were well arranged and the cakes arrived on time. He would plan the order of photography and document the events in his photo library. When it comes to creating time for his children, he scores highly in that regard.
At 80, what do you see in him now compared to 40 or 50 years ago?
Today, I see the grace of God and God's blessings in his life. I see fulfilment and happiness in him every day. We are grateful to God because he has gone through a lot in life. He is my hero and I have a great respect for him.
How was his social life?
In his younger days, he was a socialite. He attended and hosted many parties in his house. The expatriate community was always coming to our house for one party or the other. My father liked dressing up in suits of different styles. But when he joined politics in the late 70s, he became a very busy man and the social aspect of his life took the back seat. He hardly attended public functions unless he had to. But now, he no longer goes to parties and he spends time reading and watching football. He is a passionate fan of Arsenal Football Club. I support Tottenham Football Club.
How did your family handle his transformation from a lawyer to a politician?
It was a confusing period for me. As a young boy, I did not understand what was going on. I just noticed that things were changing in his lifestyle. He stopped wearing European suits in 1978, opting for short- sleeve African design. He had wardrobes of European suits which I inherited when he ditched them.
His type of friends also changed. We started hearing names like Fela, Kwame Nkrumah and notable civil rights campaigners who played a part in bringing positive changes to their countries. It was a drastic change which was not only a departure from his dressing but the way he perceived life. I did not understand it immediately but today, I appreciate everything he stands for.
Has he told you why he changed to short-sleeves
It stands for major change. It means urgency and readiness to work for a better society. When you suddenly roll up your sleeves, it means you are ready to work.
How did your mother react to all these changes in his life?
She supported him in every way. It was a tough time for my mother when my father was detained and tortured by the then military regime. She bore the brunt of it all because she travelled with him to many places during political campaigns and during his time in detentions. We were in schools abroad by that time so we only read about his activities and sometimes we experienced it when we came home on holidays.
What about your father's relationship with the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo?
Obafemi Awolowo was the Yoruba leader and my father was one of the lawyers that represented him in the treasonable felony case of 1962. It was politically motivated but apart from that, Awolowo was a friend of the family. He would visit us and I would sit on his lap. When NAP was formed, a lot of inaccurate statements were said by people who failed to see through my father's political ideology. They came up with spurious submissions, which suggested a feud between Awolowo and the Braithwaite family, just because my father did not join the Unity Party of Nigeria that was formed by Awolowo. The truth was that my father would have become the Lagos State Governor if he had joined UPN but he had a bigger political ambition.
How will you describe his political ideology?
My father's political ideology is revolutionary socialism. He does not buy the idea of capitalism because it does not suit our society. His idea of a society is one that supports equal distribution of the nation's wealth. He wants the working class to control the state so that there will be structural changes in the society. However, his idea of revolution does not support violence.
What is the relationship between your father and Anikulapo's family?
Fela was a popular figure among Anikulapo's children and he shared the same radical and revolutionary philosophy with my father. Fela also changed his style of dressing after he started singing in defence of the masses. They were friends in those days and my father defended the family in court in 1977. The difference between them is in culture and religion. Fela believed in traditional ways while my father is a devout Christian. Fela would come to our house with his band to entertain guests and his children were regular visitors in the house.
What kind of exercise does your father do to keep fit?
After his morning prayer, he jogs around the house three or four times in a week and he spends time in his private gym. He eats healthily and takes a glass of wine once in a while. When he wants to relax, he watches Yoruba movies, which is strange to us. He also reads the Bible a lot and spends time in his study.
You studied abroad and spent much of your formative years as a lawyer outside Nigeria. How do you cope with working with him as a partner in his chamber?
There is bound to be clash of culture but he is my father and I know him very well. He trained me and professionally speaking, it's difficult marrying our ideas but we manage to work together.
How much influence did he have on the careers of his children?
He does not joke with our future. I wanted to be an actor and I had already enrolled at a school in London but he told me to study law first and maybe acting later. There are four lawyers among his five children. My sister, Omowunmi, is a medical doctor working in Dubai and she was influenced by our mother who is a doctor.
