An old Nigerian newspaper published in November 1980 records a rare moment of reflection by the late Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara, former Premier of the Eastern Region of Nigeria. In the report, Dr. Okpara openly expressed regret over the political advice he once gave to Nigeria’s first President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.
According to the publication, Dr. Okpara disclosed that he had advised Dr. Azikiwe against forming a political alliance with the former Premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, during the critical years of Nigeria’s early post-independence politics. At the time, the rivalry and mistrust between the major regional leaders shaped political calculations, alliances, and decisions that would later have profound consequences for the nation.
Looking back decades later, Dr. Okpara acknowledged that such an alliance between Azikiwe and Awolowo might have altered the course of Nigeria’s political history. He suggested that a united front between the two foremost nationalist leaders could have strengthened national cohesion, reduced regional polarization, and possibly prevented some of the political crises that later engulfed the First Republic.
The admission, coming from one of the most influential figures of the era, underscored the weight of missed opportunities in Nigeria’s formative years. Dr. Okpara’s reflection stands today as a poignant reminder of how personal judgments and political rivalries shaped the nation’s early trajectory—and how unity among visionary leaders might have offered Nigeria a different, more stable beginning.
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