A noted Nigerian journalist here chronicles the bitter and bloody struggle for political power in Nigeria's Second Republic, particularly among the followers of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He tells the story of the schism in the Awo camp and how rival factions turned against each other in the scramble for office. The period of the Second Republic is covered, with emphasis on the 1983 elections. The role of many of Nigeria's early independence leaders in included apart from Awolowo himself: Shehu Shagari, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Bola Ige and the Biafran leader, Emeka Ojukwu.