http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=167533

Great Zik is Nigeria’s Most Outstanding Political Leader


THISDAY Awards 2010,

THISDAY readers have voted the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe as the Most Outstanding Political Leader in the last 50 years.
In the online poll conducted by the newspaper, the late statesman polled 4716 votes to beat his closest rival, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who polled 4668 votes.


Sir Ahmadu Bello scored 3458 votes, Chief MKO Abiola 3637 votes and Mallam Aminu Kano 3431 votes in the poll.
Though he started out as a journalist in Ghana in 1934, he was destined for greatness right from the beginning. Unable to stomach racial discrimination and the existing colonial order, he attacked the colonialists and their collaborators ceaselessly in his articles.


Later, he ran into troubled waters in Ghana and returned to Nigeria. He founded the West African Pilot and continued his pan-African nationalist writings. He went into full time politics in 1944 when he co-founded the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) which later became National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) with Sir Herbert Macaulay.
In 1947, he was elected into the Legislative Council of Nigeria and in 1951, he became leader of opposition in the Western Region. In 1954, he became the premier. On November 16, 1960, he became the Governor-General of Nigeria.


In all the roles he played before and immediately after independence, The Great Zik of Africa was a major stabilising factor, displaying a rare combination of wisdom and integrity. At independence, it was his party’s alliance with the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) that gave Nigeria its first government. His sacrifice and maturity no doubt played a major role in the post-independence stability enjoyed by the country.


He repeated this in 1979 when he shunned primordial sentiments and led his Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) to join the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), thereby giving the ruling government a pan-Nigerian character.
As a writer and politician, the late Zik believed passionately in a strong Nigeria and a united Africa. This explains why he was to become widely known and passionately addressed as “The Great Zik of Africa.” And, it was not only the ordinary folks that saw the greatness in him; prominent Nigerians, popular African nationalists and even political foes also saw in him, a great and passionate defender of Nigerian and African values.


The late Kwame Nkrumah, who was voted Africa’s Man of the Millennium by BBC listeners in 2000, acknowledged Zik as an inspiration in the Pan-African nationalist struggle. The late Obafemi Awolowo also said as much of Zik. He once declared that he started publishing Tribune in 1949 on Zik’s birthday as a tribute to the great statesman.


Because of his kind of politics, charismatic personality and uncanny wisdom, Zik drew a lot of young politicians to himself and mentored many who have, in turn, made unquantifiable impact on the nation’s political landscape.


The late statesman was born in Zungeru in present day Niger State on the 16th of November, 1904. He became the country’s first indigenous Governor General on his 56th birthday; became the country’s first President in 1963 when Nigeria became a Republic and participated actively in the country’s political development throughout his life. And, in death, his work and words remain crucial instruments for national politics and development.


In the business category vote, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr, Chairman of Globacom, was voted the Most Outstanding Business Personality of the last 50 years by the readers.
•Readers can now have full access to the details of the voting with the following log-in details:
URL:
webmail.thisdayonline.com
Username: awards2010
Password: thisday

No doubt about this award. There is no Nigerian living or dead that has played a pan-Nigerian politics like Zik. The rest of the pack played tribal politics, or at best, money-centred politics (e.g., MKO).

uhhhmmmm, if he was ALIVE, him sef for be OLE THIEF, hehehehehehehe

I consider the man an idealist who did not worry about his people much. If only he could have put Igbo interest before the nation's interest. We would have been in a better place than the Yorubas and the Hausas.

THANK YOU OH, Yoruba and Hausa peeps have ruined Nigeria,


Can we the Naija Delta folks just dettach from Nigeria? I am tired of selfish Yoruba and Foolsih northerners, heeheheheheheh

A guy that tried to seize power using the military definitely wouldn't be my choice for an outstanding political leader

Why cant nigerians shun sentiment and say the , truth for once, how did zik encourage military rule or try to seize power, please back up your statements with facts,

kettykings:

Why cant nigerians shun sentiment and say the , truth for once, how did zik encourage military rule or try to seize power, please back up your statements with facts,

After Ziks UPGA alliance party lost the elections in December 1964, Zik, as president, 'ordered' the military to suspend the incumbent Balewa led civilian government and appoint an interim administrator. (Un)fortunately, the 1963 constitution placed the operational control of the military under the PM and cabinet of ministers, and not the president, thus zik did not have authority over the military. This point was made clear to Zik and the service chiefs by the Chief justice and Attorney General of the federation, and consequently, the service chiefs declined to answer his call to a meeting nor follow the orders.

great recognition

biina:

A guy that tried to seize power using the military definitely wouldn't be my choice for an outstanding political leader

This is a new story to many Nigerians. Please provide more proof. Thanks.

BTW how did Adenuga win the most outstanding biz man when he is meely fronting for the real owners of Globalcom, thieving military men and their apologists who established the outfit with stolen money?

It is now confirmed that you have no other business on Nairaland than peddling hatred and ethnic chauvinism. Do you still wonder why people choose to ignore your posts?

mekusxxx:

This is a new story to many Nigerians. Please provide more proof. Thanks.

BTW how did Adenuga win the most outstanding biz man when he is meely fronting for the real owners of Globalcom, thieving military men and their apologists who established the outfit with stolen money?

Please provide proof too.

Pcicero. your opinions about Mekusxxx is wrong. Concentrate on his well-informed and educative post rather than attacking his personality.
Thanks for the post, Mekusxxx.

The three arms zone in Abuja should be named after N. Azikiwe.

@Andrew Uweh
Thanks for your observation. I don't have anything about Zik being the most outstanding political leader, perhaps amongst his peers he was the only true pan Nigerian, nay African politician. As a Yoruba man, I am happy and proud of Awolowo's achievements for the Southwest.

But, this mekusxxxx has a way of spewing hatred and sowing discord on Nairaland. I will advise him to always take his unguarded remarks to the Tribalism section since he is so fixated on his divisive tendencies.

In pre-independence Nigeria, there were 3
regions and 3 personalities from each region
namely Zik(East mainly Igbo), Obafemi
Awolowo (West mainly Yoruba) and Ahmadu
Bello(North mainly Hausa-Fulani).All the 3 are
now dead. Northerners celebrate the
leadership of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello( the
northern leader ) while the Yoruba celebrate
the leadership of the late Obafemi Awolowo
( the Yoruba Leader). It would seem logical
that the Igbo celebrate the legacy of the late
Zik as an Igbo leader.
While both the late Ahmadu Bello and
Awolowo qualify as Northern and Yoruba
leader respectively, Zik does not really qualify
as an Igbo leader. Why?
Leadership is not the same as rulership or
position or title holding. Leadership cannot
be appointed or awarded or assigned (John
Maxwell). That a person was a president or
governor or minister or senator does not
give the person a legacy of leadership.
Nigeria as a country has not had a leader but
it has had many rulers or position and title
holders and personalities. Northern Nigeria
has had a political leader named Sir Ahmadu
Bello and the Yoruba has had one named
Awolowo. The Igbo has had political leaders
such as Dr Michael Okpara or Dr Akanu Ibiam
but not Zik. Pretend for a moment that you
are either my client or student on leadership,
you would hear me hammering the following
points.
Leadership is about character especially
integrity and humility. About 90% of all
leadership failures are character failures.
Integrity is the foundation for goodness and
greatness. It is about being principled,
constant and consistent. It is about being
trustworthy. It is about doing the right
things. It is about sacrifice. It is about service
above self. It is about vision and direction. It
is about defending and protecting your
people collective interests even if it means
paying the ultimate price. It is about standing
for something. It is about improving the
economic well-being and quality of life of the
people. It is about transforming the people
and group. It is about making a difference.
When you apply these and many other
leadership criteria, it is obvious that Zik was
not an Igbo leader. It is also obvious that
Nigeria has not had leaders. It is obvious that
Africa is a continent bereft of leaders except
few like Nelson Mandela.
Specifically on Igbo leadership, the Igbo
culture is very clear about what makes one
fit or unfit for leadership. A thief or a traitor
(sabo) cannot be a leader. Being a thief or
traitor is the lowest of the lowest (an
abomination or nso ala) among the Igbo. In
fact, it automatically makes on an outcast.
Whether one likes it or not, the defining
moment for the Igbo in Nigeria was the
Nigeria-Biafra war (1967-70). It was the
litmus test. Zik crossed over to the Nigerian
side because of personal difficulties with the
Biafra leadership. Biafra or the Igbo was
fighting a war of survival and freedom after
being massacred in Nigeria and attacked
militarily. Zik was in favor of Biafra as long as
he called the shots and the going was good.
Biafra is a matter of principle not personal
feelings about Ojukwu or his leadership style.
This pattern of unprincipled behavior and
egotism were characteristic of Zik whether it
was in Nigeria or Biafra. When things were
not favorable to him personally he would
decamp. He did not make and keep promises.
Space does not allow me to go into full details
and explanations but only to say that a
leader acts based on principles and collective
interests not personal interests or egotism.
Making and keeping promises is the
cornerstone of leadership or a person.
Zik like many African rulers had a major
character and integrity problem. At the root
was his self-concept or self definition(the
way one sees oneself). He saw himself in his
own words as a "Beautiful Bride" for the
highest bidder as well as indispensable. The
former executive president of Nigeria, Alhaji
Shehu Shagari, a mild mannered man
captured it well when he told Zik during the
1979 election campaign: "when you switch
husbands one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight times, you are no longer a
beautiful bride but a harlot." Zik was a
weather vane-go where the favorable wind
blows. A "Beautiful Bride" mindset is exactly
the opposite of the leadership mindset. In
1954, the Sutton-Foster Inquiry found Zik's
conduct below what was expected of an
honest and honorable person. He also has
Black neocolonial/elitist mentality like many
African rulers and political class.
Regarding the sacred duty of leadership to
defend and protect your people and their
collective interests, the record is clear that
while Ahmadu Bello protected the Northern
interests and Awolowo did the same for the
Yoruba interests, the Igbo were left
undefended and unprotected by Zik. This
vacuum created at the critical formative
years of Nigeria caused an irreparable
damage to the Igbo. Also, I have never read
where Zik publicly stood up and fought
against the endless massacres and injustice
meted to the Igbo.
What about providing vision and direction?
Both Ahmadu Bello and Awolowo had visions
for their people. Both were realistic and
visionaries when it came to Nigeria. My
admiration of Ahmadu Bello is that he
maintained that Nigeria was a 1914 Mistake
while Awolowo called it a geographical
expression. But Zik in his blind ambition to
rule Nigeria pretended otherwise. What
would have been the course of history if Zik
heeded Ahmadu Bello's perspective ? The
Nigeria tragedy would have been avoided!
What about the issue of sacrifice that is so
central to leadership. What sacrifice did Zik
make for the Igbo. The record shows the
opposite. It is the Igbo that sacrificed greatly
for Zik. When he was cheated in the Western
House in Ibadan as premier, the Igbo gave
him the Eastern premiership in Enugu at the
expense of Eyo Ita (a non-Igbo) which
caused bad feelings against the Igbo in
Eastern Nigeria. The Igbo dutifully
campaigned and voted for Zik as "our own
person" and tribal loyalty but Zik had no
loyalty to anyone except his unbridle political
ambition to be the prime minister of Nigeria
or president and to be worshipped as "Zik of
Africa". Luckily, Igbo people have had selfless
leaders who sacrificed for Ndigbo especially
when they were threatened or faced
injustice such as the great Chinua Achebe
who refused Nigeria national "honors"
because of Obasanjo government's messing
up Igboland. There was Dr. Akanu Ibiam who
gave up his British Empire knighthood
because of British role during the Nigeria-
Biafra war. Then there was Sam Mbakwe, the
crying governor, who stood up against the
injustice of "Abandoned Property." I might
add that both Dim Ojukwu and Ralph
Uwazuruike are great Igbo leaders and nwa
afor Igbo(true son of Igboland) who have
never sold out the Igbo collective interests
and have fought injustice against the Igbo at
great personal risks. These are examples
personal sacrifice central to leadership.
Regarding democratic leadership as a Zik
asset and legacy, it is doubtful if Zik was
really a true democrat. Most Black
neocolonialists who took over from the
white colonials were not democrats. They
just wanted the whites out of power in order
to enjoy power and the accolades. When the
military took over in Nigeria and seemed
entrenched, it was Zik who said that it was
unrealistic to expect the military not to be
part of the government on a permanent
basis. He advocated a system of government
he tagged "diarchy" whereby power would
be permanently shared between civilians and
the military. This is not the principles and
philosophy of a true democrat. As usual, it
was the Nigeria political/power elite's
unprincipled mindset of " if you can't beat
them, join them" and expediency that
characterized Zik's life. It is absolutely not a
leadership and democratic leadership stuff. A
true democrat and a leader would be
opposed to military regimes and military in
governance as a matter of principle. Politics
without principles is one of the 7 deadly sins
that would destroy humanity according to
Mahatma Gandhi. Zik played politics without
principles.
Zik held many prominent positions in Nigeria
and was well known internationally.
However, he did not make any difference
either to the Igbo or Nigeria. Positions, titles
and popularity are not leadership. I am
always told that someone is a leader but
when I ask this key leadership question:
what difference did someone make, I usually
get a different picture. Igbo people in
particular , Nigerians and Africans in general
must be extremely careful in celebrating title
or position holders or rulers or misleaders as
leaders.
This article has been a wake up calls to Igbo
people, Nigerians and Africans to stop calling
as leaders those selfish ego-driven ambitious
politicians and power elite who sacrificed
collective interests for personal interests.
Rulers, position and title holders or being
famous are not leaders unless they
transform themselves into one by character
development especially integrity, service
above self , and making a positive difference
to the people. Misleaders found abundantly
in Igboland, Nigeria and Africa are obviously
not leaders. "Beautiful Bride" such as Zik who
is available for the highest bidder is a harlot
( President Shehu Shagari's word supported
by Emeka) not a leader.
Anyone who betrayed his people during war
of survival or major danger is not a leader.
Anyone who would tell graduating Biafra
officers to fight for freedom and defend
their fatherland but later crossover to the
other side is not a leader. Leadership is about
principles and being principled. Sir Ahmadu
Bello was a northern leader for being
principled and for protecting and defending
northern interests. Awolowo was a Yoruba
leader for doing the same for Yoruba. Zik did
not protect and defend Igbo interests and
does not qualify as an Igbo leader. A traitor
(Sabo) is an outcast and should be ostracized
according to Igbo culture. He does not have a
democratic leadership legacy for advocating
"diarchy" for Nigeria.

Bluetooth,
did u write that?

I agree with the article

pcicero:

It is now confirmed that you have no other business on Nairaland than peddling hatred and ethnic chauvinism. Do you still wonder why people choose to ignore your posts?[/b]Please provide proof too.

Ode! and you are here responding to this one?

Good that you know me, because I do not even know that [b]something like you exist.

BLUETOOTH and PLAGIARISM.

lol, BLuetooth = OLE THIEF

There is no way in hell Bluetooth wrote that piece. In fact I recognize sections of it as an article written by Obi Nwakama of Vanguard Newspaper's "The Orbit" column. Bluetooth will have to die and reincarnate 7 times before he can attain such level of intellectualism.
I agree with the article though.

^^ LoL
Bluetooth, where you at? Come and defend your write ups.

Onlytruth:

There is no way in hell Bluetooth wrote that piece. In fact I recognize sections of it as an article written by Obi Nwakama of Vanguard Newspaper's "The Orbit" column. Bluetooth will have to die and reincarnate 7 times before he can attain such level of intellectualism.
I agree with the article though.  

The article is well beyond the realm of Bluetooth's capabilities, not even after a monumental rejuvenation of his dilapidated consciousness.

I wonder why Thisday is always obsessed with all these fictitious awards

Emeka Njoku penned the piece.

Obviously, Bluetooth didn't say anything about writing the article so what's the big deal?

Don't we all post articles from other websites all day/every freeking time?

@topic

seems zik didn't have much competition though

abadaba:

BLUETOOTH and PLAGIARISM.

it wasnt really my write-up but thanks to a good historian friend.got it from his site.

grafikdon:

The article is well beyond the realm of Bluetooth's capabilities, not even after a monumental rejuvenation of his dilapidated consciousness.

but you will agree now that zik is not really what it seem to be.he was overated

kayc33:

^^ LoL
Bluetooth, where you at? Come and defend your write ups.

i was in my dream when you screamed sir so i didnt hear you.lol

riversman:

lol, BLuetooth = OLE THIEF

grow up and get a life militant

Onlytruth:

There is no way in hell Bluetooth wrote that piece. In fact I recognize sections of it as an article written by Obi Nwakama of Vanguard Newspaper's "The Orbit" column. Bluetooth will have to die and reincarnate 7 times before he can attain such level of intellectualism.
I agree with the article though.  

if i have tried to edit this article,people will still argue  it.that is why i decided to copy it unedited from the source.happy? but anyways thanks for agreeing with the article

[b]That was a good article by bluetooth.

Zik has never been my hero. I hate him for struggling to keep Nigeria one.

However, we must not overlook the fact that he was more nationalistic in his political orientation than Awolowo and Bello.

While Bello and Awolowo agreed that Nigeria was a mistake, they were more ethno-religious leaders than nationalistic leaders.

Yes zik was a political harlot, but he played the real meaning of politics: who gets what, how and when,  in a nationalistic way.

If Awolowo and Bello were like Zik in terms of politics, the ethno-religiouse Pluralism that became a plaque in Nigeria's unity would have been at a minimal.

I see the award as a recognition of his nationalistic outlook in politics.

In the real sense, Nigerian leaders in the 1960s werent surpposed to be ethno-religiously biased in their leadership style. This is the reason why Nigerians are still grappling in our aim for development. It is the reason why this country will remain a farce and needs to dis-integrate or be restructured politically. [/b]

~Bluetooth:

but you will agree now that zik is not really what it seem to be.he was overatedi

I don't care about anyone's opinion of Zik. Besides I love him the way I love a cockroach that flies into my bowl of steaming egwusi soup with dried bush meat and mangala fish.

babapupa:

Emeka Njoku penned the piece.

Obviously, Bluetooth didn't say anything about writing the article so what's the big deal?

Don't we all post articles from other websites all day/every freeking time?

Quit support evil. Is it not morally wrong to paste someone's article without referencing the original writer?.

Justcash:
[b]That was a good article by bluetooth.

Zik has never been my hero. I hate him for struggling to keep Nigeria one.

However, we must not overlook the fact that he was more nationalistic in his political orientation than Awolowo and Bello.

While Bello and Awolowo agreed that Nigeria was a mistake, they were more ethno-religious leaders than nationalistic leaders.

Yes zik was a political harlot, but he played the real meaning of politics: who gets what, how and when,  in a nationalistic way.

If Awolowo and Bello were like Zik in terms of politics, the ethno-religiouse Pluralism that became a plaque in Nigeria's unity would have been at a minimal.

I see the award as a recognition of his nationalistic outlook in politics.

In the real sense, Nigerian leaders in the 1960s werent surpposed to be ethno-religiously biased in their leadership style. This is the reason why Nigerians are still grappling in our aim for development. It is the reason why this country will remain a farce and needs to dis-integrate or be restructured politically. [/b]

Advocacy for oneness among peoples of different and in fact opposing cultures and belief systems can't pass for nationalism. Any political philosophy that ignores stark realities of the possibility that such could gravely endanger the lives of some or all of the people qualifies as dangerous and lethal fantasy and not nationalism.
Zik's advocacy of oneness was Akin to an attempt to keep a cat, a snake and dog all in one and the same uncompartmentalized cage believing that one day the dog, the snake and the cat will just wake up and lose their carnivorous appetite towards one another and begin to live together harmoniously. That was naivete of the highest order, and that is actually evil.
A genuine nationalist is not he who tries to do what is practically impossible, but he who recognized the constraints imposed on his ambition by nature, and therefore acts accordingly and realistically especially when he is fully away that driving such ambition beyond natural constraints could lead to bloodshed and permanent enmity as we now have today. Awolowo, Enahoro, Ahmadu Bello and Balewa recognized these constraints and the bloodshed which the contrary could precipitate, and therefore acted accordingly hence were the genuine nationalists. But Zik was the odd one out who chose to pretend all was well when reality dictated otherwise.
The differences among the various tribes in Nigeria are too great to be ignored under the guise of seeking oneness.
And by the way what exactly was the oneness Zik was seeking? Was any tribe really at full blown war with any other? Differences can't be eliminated but only managed as much as possible.
Against this background Zik was an incurable idealist and not a nationalist as all his ideas about nationhood and nation building have done us more harm than good. An idea is judged not by its content but by the result it yields. Zik's nationalism caused a bloody war and strained relationships permanently.
We all agree to the consensus that the white man was utterly wrong to have amalgamated us without regards for our differences, yet some of us are hypocritically celebrating as a nationalist the Zik who wanted to carry further and perfect the white man's amalgamation with his one Nigeria belief. That is hypocritical.
If Zik is a nationalist for seeking a further amalgamated one Nigeria, then Lord Luggard was a better nationalist for commencing the amalgamation in the first instance.