Ahmadu Bello

Sir Ahmadu Bello (12 June 1910 – 15 January 1966), known by his title Sardauna of Sokoto, was the first and only premier of the Northern Region, from 1954 until his death, and leader of the Northern People's Congress (Wikipedia). He was born in Rabah, where his father was district head, and was a member of the Sokoto Caliphate dynasty; he sought to become Sultan of Sokoto before entering politics.

The Library of Congress country study calls him the most powerful figure in the NPC, a controversial figure described by opponents as a "feudal" conservative, with a consuming interest in protecting northern social and political institutions from southern influence. Through the NPC's control of the north he dominated national affairs for more than a decade (Wikipedia).

He was a descendant of Usman dan Fodio, a great-grandson of Caliph Muhammad Bello and a grandson of Caliph Atiku na Raba. He received an Islamic education at home and then attended Sokoto Provincial School and Katsina Training College (now Barewa College), finishing in 1931, and taught English at Sokoto Middle School. In 1934 he became district head of Rabah, and in 1938 divisional head of Gusau and a member of the Sultan's council. That year he sought to become Sultan of Sokoto but lost to Siddiq Abubakar III, who made him Sardauna of Sokoto; by 1944 he was chief secretary of the Sokoto Native Administration (Wikipedia). In the 1940s he joined Jam'iyyar Mutanen Arewa, which became the Northern People's Congress in 1951, and in 1948 he went to England on a government scholarship to study local government administration (Wikipedia).

He was killed in Kaduna in the coup of 15 January 1966, together with Prime Minister Balewa and the Western premier, Samuel Akintola (country study).