ABSTRACT
WHILST James Johnson's enemies, European and Africans, were denying him the opportunity to utilise his undoubted talent for the ecclesiastical organisation and Christian spiritual directorship of Yorubaland, his capacity for statesmanship was being recognised and employed by the Lagos Government. For in 1886, when Lagos ceased to be constitutionally an appendage of the Gold Coast, a Legislative Council was established, composed of four official and three unofficial members. It was decided by the first governor under the new arrangement, A. C. Moloney, to nominate two African representatives as unofficial members. And James Johnson was one of these, the other being C. J. George, J.P., a prominent Wesleyan of the Egba tribal group and a trader.
