‘Zik Lived for Nigeria’: Uche Azikiwe Says Husband’s Selflessness Holds Lessons for Today’s Leaders

Uche Azikiwe, widow of Nigeria’s first President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, says the values that guided her late husband’s leadership remain urgently relevant to the nation’s political culture.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time, she described the nationalist icon as a selfless statesman whose decisions were consistently shaped by the collective good rather than regional sentiment.

“Zik was a selfless leader and a good listener. He loved to serve and always thought about Nigeria as a whole,” she said, emphasising that her husband would abandon his own preferences if they risked harming national stability.

She recalled personal moments that reflected his principles, including his refusal to intervene when she was denied admission into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, over a WAEC mathematics shortfall.

“I thought my husband would call the Vice-Chancellor and intervene, but he didn’t. I had to wait another year,” she said, noting that he insisted on fairness and due process even in private matters.

According to her, Zik’s broad nationalist outlook sometimes drew criticism from people in the Southeast who expected him to prioritise ethnic interests. But she said he rejected such labels, seeing himself as a leader devoted to Nigeria and Africa rather than a regional figurehead.

Uche Azikiwe described her marriage to the Pan-Africanist as divine destiny, adding that her late husband’s commitment to unity and justice offers meaningful lessons for contemporary governance.