Veteran Nollywood actor Pete Edochie has named the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo as his favourite Nigerian politician, citing his approach to governance and contributions to education and broadcasting. Edochie said that although he was not deeply interested in politics, Awolowo earned his admiration because he clearly explained his development plans, their projected costs and how the required funds would be raised.
The actor made the remarks during an appearance on a podcast. “I am not into politics, but if you asked me who is my favourite politician, I will tell you it is Awolowo. There is a reason for it,” Edochie said.
Explaining his choice, the veteran actor praised what he regarded as Awolowo’s transparency and precision in presenting government programmes to the public. According to Edochie, Awolowo would identify the project he intended to execute, state how much it would cost and explain where the funding would come from. “Awolowo will tell you, ‘I am going to build this thing, it will cost this amount, and this is where I will get it.’ There have been no politician to achieve that,” he said.
Edochie also referred to Awolowo’s development initiatives during his tenure as Premier of the Western Region. He credited the late politician with introducing television to the country in 1959 and implementing free primary education, which he said were new developments in Nigeria at the time. The actor added that television became available in the Eastern Region in 1960, one year after its introduction in the Western Region under Awolowo.
While reflecting on Awolowo’s political career, Edochie expressed regret that the former Western Region premier never became Nigeria’s president. “Regrettably, he never became president,” he said. The conversation also touched on Edochie’s relationship with the Yoruba people. The actor said he had great affection for them and noted that one of his sons was married to a Yoruba woman. “I love the Yorubas a lot; one of my sons is married to a Yoruba girl,” he said.
Beyond his comments on politics, Edochie used the interview to discuss the history of his acting career and correct the impression that he began acting after the emergence of Nollywood. He said his involvement in acting began several decades before Nollywood was established in 1992. According to Edochie, his first acting appearance was in a production of *The Merchant of Venice* in 1962, when he was 15 years old.
“I started acting before Nollywood was created in 1992. I first appeared in *The Merchant of Venice* in 1962 at the age of 15,” he said.
Edochie also spoke about the international recognition his work had received during his career. The actor claimed that he was the only Nigerian performer whose role in a film prompted foreign journalists to travel to Nigeria specifically to interview him. He did not identify the film or provide further details about the journalists during the reported segment of the interview.
Edochie has spent decades in Nigeria’s film industry and has become widely recognised for his performances and screen presence. During the podcast appearance, however, he traced his professional history beyond Nollywood, presenting his career as one that began with stage acting long before the Nigerian film industry acquired its present identity.
His remarks about Awolowo also shifted the conversation from entertainment to political leadership and the development initiatives he believes distinguished the late politician from others. Although Edochie said politics was not his primary interest, he identified Awolowo’s planning, public explanation of projects and achievements in education and broadcasting as the reasons for his choice.