The family of Herbert Macaulay, one of Nigeria’s founding fathers, has criticized the Federal Government for including his name in a recent list of posthumous pardons announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Thursday, the family — supported by elder statesman Chief Olabode George, who is also the Atona Oodua of Yorubaland — said that while they appreciated the president’s recognition of Macaulay, it was wrong to list him alongside people with questionable reputations.
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“If Papa is to be honoured, he should be honoured alone,” George said on behalf of the family. “Herbert Macaulay was not a criminal. He was a patriot, a visionary, and the grandson of the first African Anglican Bishop. He deserves a special national honour, not to be placed in a list with convicts.”
Other family members present included Erelu Adeola Macaulay, Lanre Oshodi, Mayokun Thomas, Kofoworola Macaulay, Adeyinka Macaulay, Ayo Ogunlana, and Turi Akerele, among others.
In his speech titled “Herbert Macaulay: The Father of Nigerian Nationalism,” George described Macaulay as a man who built the foundation of Nigeria’s modern political movement.
He said Macaulay, born in 1864, came from a family of education and faith. “He could have lived comfortably under the colonial system, but instead, he chose to fight against injustice and defend the truth,” he said.
George recalled how Macaulay used his newspaper, Lagos Daily News, to challenge colonial authorities, defended Oba Eshugbayi Eleko, and founded Nigeria’s first political party, the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), in 1923.
“Macaulay’s politics was never about personal gain,” George said. “He brought politics from the colonial parlours to the streets and markets of Lagos.”
The family urged the government to honour Macaulay in a more respectful and meaningful way, such as by building public memorials, offering educational scholarships, and creating civic leadership programs inspired by his values.
They also reminded Nigerians that Macaulay and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe worked together to form the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) in 1944, which helped Nigeria move toward independence.
“Herbert Macaulay died in 1946 while fighting for national unity,” George said. “He was a true patriot till his last breath — not a felon to be pardoned.”
He called on Nigerian leaders today to follow Macaulay’s principles of integrity, accountability, and service to the people, saying that true honour comes from living by those values, not from symbolic gestures.