What do you think would have happened if Awolowo ruled Nigeria as president – Former Senate President, Ayu

Elder statesman and President of the Senate in the Third Republic, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has stated that Nigeria requires a leader that will organise its human and natural resources for a desired transformation.

Ayu said so far, the types of leaders that have ruled Nigeria as president since independence were not good enough to transform Nigeria.

Speaking with Punch, Ayu recalled that the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo unfortunately did not rule Nigeria as a country, otherwise, the country would have been greater by now.

According to him, Awolowo, “showed leadership, was very educated and well prepared, and very organised also. He made tremendous impact on his immediate region and moved it forward. Even in the context of Nigeria today, that impact is still there. The blueprint he had was still being followed by the subsequent generations.

“It clearly showed that if he had ruled Nigeria, his transformation in the Western region would have reflected across the country,” he said.

Asked about his take on restructuring, the ex-senate president said, “The restructuring that people are talking about now is a misnomer. What we should be advocating is devolution of power. More powers should be given to the states.

People thought if we returned to the 1963 constitution, everything would be in order, which is not correct. What we lacked now is purposeful leadership. We need someone who has the capacity to galvanise Nigeria into its greatness.”