Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of the Northern Region of Nigeria, was thought by many to be the most powerful figure in Nigeria. The descendant of the great reformer, Shehu Usuman dan Fodio, the Sardauna grew up in the atmosphere of the Muslim and aristocratic tradition of the Fulani conquerors of Northern Nigeria. He reached maturity in a Nigeria that was rapidly advancing towards independent nationhood, with political institutions deriving largely from the traditions of the Christian West. As leader of the Northern Peoples Congress, the majority political party in Northern Nigeria, the Sardauna became the first Premier of that region in 1954.