Legendary Nollywood actor Pete Edochie has publicly identified Chief Obafemi Awolowo, former Premier of the defunct Western Region, as his favourite Nigerian politician of all time. The veteran actor made this revelation during a recent appearance on the show Curiosity Made Me Ask, hosted by content creator BaeU.
Edochie doesn’t dabble in politics. Still, he couldn’t hide his admiration for Awolowo’s record of transparency and groundbreaking achievements that shaped modern Nigeria.
According to the actor, Awolowo stood apart from other politicians through his commitment to detailed planning and fiscal accountability. “Awolowo will tell you, ‘I’m going to build this thing, it will cost so-and-so amount and this is where I’m going to get the money from,'” Edochie explained, adding that no other politician has matched that level of transparency.
The late statesman brought television broadcasting to Nigeria in 1959, making it the first country in Africa to achieve this milestone. He also pioneered free primary education across the Western Region, a revolutionary policy that transformed access to education for countless Nigerian children.
What makes Awolowo’s story particularly poignant? Despite these impressive accomplishments, he never won a presidential election. That fact clearly weighs on Edochie’s mind as he reflects on what might have been for Nigeria.
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