Chief Hubert Ogunde’s Drama and Censorship under the Obasanjo Regime
On Friday, 26 May 1978, the Nigerian newspaper Daily Times carried a headline reporting that the Federal Ministry of Information had once again banned Chief Hubert Ogunde’s theatrical production, Yoruba Ronu (translated from Yoruba as “Think, Yoruba”).
The page from the Daily Times included coverage of the government’s action alongside unrelated commercial content, such as an advertisement for a Philips C-series colour television priced at N539 — a reminder of the broader economic context of late-1970s Nigeria.
What the Reported Ban Involved
According to the Daily Times report:
The Federal Ministry of Information prohibited the staging of Yoruba Ronu on grounds that it contained political undertones that could be interpreted as critical of government policies or sensitive issues at the time.
The ban was not unprecedented: Yoruba Ronu had earlier been prohibited from performance in the old Western Region in 1964, a period of intense political tension in Nigeria’s First Republic.
In the article the government cited concerns about the play’s impact on public order and political stability.
Chief Hubert Ogunde, widely regarded as the father of modern Nigerian theatre, maintained in interviews that his intention was primarily to entertain and encourage reflection, not to incite unrest.
Chief Hubert Ogunde and Yoruba Ronu
Chief Hubert Ogunde (1916–1990) was a pioneering theatre artist whose work often blended traditional Yoruba performance forms with contemporary theatrical practice. Over several decades, he used drama to explore social, cultural, and political themes affecting Nigerians.
Yoruba Ronu was one of Ogunde’s productions that encouraged audiences to engage in critical reflection about their society, leadership, and political identity. As with other politically suggestive works, it occasionally attracted official scrutiny in eras when public expression was tightly controlled.
Nigeria in the Late 1970s
The reported ban took place during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo (1976–1979), himself of Yoruba origin and head of state following the death of General Murtala Muhammed. Obasanjo’s government is historically remembered for initiating a transition to civilian rule, culminating in the 1979 elections and the Second Republic.
During this period, the Federal Ministry of Information exercised regulatory oversight over public media and cultural productions. Theatre, newspapers, and broadcast media were sometimes subject to censorship when content was perceived as politically sensitive or potentially disruptive.
Interpretations and Reactions
The Daily Times report focused on the factual announcement of the ban and Ogunde’s stated response. Later commentary — both scholarly and popular — has interpreted the incident in diverse ways:
Some theatre historians view the Yoruba Ronu ban as part of a pattern in which Nigerian governments, at both regional and federal levels, regulated artistic expression during periods of political volatility.
Others have seen Ogunde’s persistent attempts to stage thought-provoking dramas as emblematic of the role of artists in pushing public discourse.
It is important to distinguish between documented historical actions (the banning of the play) and interpretive claims about motives or long-term political consequences. Scholarly studies on Nigerian theatre and censorship note that governments in both the First and Second Republics — civilian and military — sometimes intervened in cultural production when they judged that portrayals of political issues might affect public order.
Preservation of Memory
The Daily Times clipping from 26 May 1978, preserved through historical archives and projects such as the Nigerian Nostalgia Project, remains a valuable piece of cultural history: an artefact showing how the press covered tensions between artistic freedom and state authority in a pivotal moment of Nigeria’s post-colonial development.
Sources
Daily Times (Nigeria), Friday, 26 May 1978.
Ogunyemi, O. African Drama and Theatre: Historical Perspectives.
Abiola Irele, The Postcolonial Experience in African Literature.
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