Abraham Lincoln and Obafemi Awolowo

SIR: The world would be celebrating 200 years of the birth of Abraham Lincoln and 100 years of the birth of Obafemi Awolowo on February 12 and March 6 respectively. There appears to be strange developments between the United States and Nigeria, particularly as it concerns Abraham Lincoln and Obafemi Awolowo.

Abraham and Obafemi have seven letters each and Lincoln and Awolowo also have seven letters each. Lincoln was born in the ninth year of the 19th Century, 1809 and Awolowo was born in the ninth year of the 20th Century, 1909. Lincoln and Awolowo were both hired out as labourers when they were young. Lincoln and Awolowo were both lawyers and both practiced up to the Supreme Court. Lincoln and Awolowo were at first skeptical in their religious inclinations, before they were brought to religious conviction.

Lincoln and Awolowo, as adults, both studied Mathematics as a form of mental discipline. Lincoln and Awolowo were both Rosicrucians. Lincoln as a young man loved wrestling and relatedly Awolowo as a young man loved boxing. Lincoln presided over the civil war in his country to be described as the greatest American president and Awolowo was the chief strategist during the Nigerian civil war to be described as the best president Nigeria never had.

Lincoln and Awolowo both have universities named after them, the Lincoln University and the Obafemi Awolowo University. Lincoln as presidential candidate and Awolowo as presidential candidate were both endorsed by the Tribune Newspapers of their respective countries. There is the Lincoln Museum and there is as well the Awolowo Museum.

Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth,
London, England