I have thought of this since the inception of GEJ presidency. A lot of people have a lot of things for and against the man but we all seem to come to an agreement that he is HUMBLE but lacks CHARISMA and ORATORY (not a SIN though). I have given this a huge thought and ask myself, who is that charismatic Nigerian nay, African leader?

He/she can be either living or dead, kindly mention/describe two very charismatic African president, prime minister, leader u know, who may also be a powerful orator. Thanks.

Olusegun obasanjo

Gen. Buhari


Ojukwu

Awolowo

Tafa balewa

those are charismatic leaders to me

alj harem, I would not want to disagree with u. . .but OBJ is not viewed as charismatic by most people and Ahmadu Bello was the charisma in d north during Balewa (Balewa in fact was his boy/stooge), oratory can go his way but charisma. . .i go think am.

Tough one. I didnt meet the great Zik in his elements but some of his speeches and quotes i've come across leave me in no doubt as to the depth of his oratorical skills. I doubt any Nigerian leader past or present can match him (No sentiments).
As for charisma, you'lld have to look outside the border and even there, they r quite few but i think if you can look past his eccentricities Muammar Ghadaffi would be a strong contender and perhaps J J Rawlings. Thomas Sankara and co. I know not.

^^^ I quite agree with u on Zik. As to who matches him in oratory, Balewa can giv him a good run. . .even Ikemba, but Zik was a true legend. Muammar Ghadaffi and J J Rawlings. . . i can't agree more. Those two are there! Just googled Sankara and I'm amazed.

Thank u bro!

When it comes to charisma and oratory:

Ojukwu

When it comes to only charisma:

IBB 

The guy intimidated all visiting heads of state in his days as Nigerian leader.
IBB was it.

Haile Selassie (also politically brilliant)

Thomas Sankara

Patrice Lumumba

Kwame Nkrumah

Nelson Mandela

Nnamdi Azikiwe

Chukwuemeka Ojukwu

That's the real list right there. Anything else is fabrication.

How can a silver back looking OBJ be chariamatic?Among chimps,yes but humans,he's an eye sore,physically and mentally.

PhysicsMHD:

Haile Selassie (also politically brilliant)

Thomas Sankara

Patrice Lumumba

Kwame Nkrumah

Nelson Mandela

Nnamdi Azikiwe

Chukwuemeka Ojukwu

That's the real list right there. Anything else is fabrication.

May thunder strike your Nyansh for including Ojukwu while at the same time ignoring Awo and Bola Ige.

lol. S.L. Akintola was reportedly more charismatic than Awolowo. As for Awolowo, I think you may be confusing prestige and sagacity (the major characteristic usually attributed to him) for charisma. Charisma isn't the be all and end all of politics, anyways. Nkrumah nearly ruined Ghana's economy despite all his charisma, while Awolowo did the opposite for his region (and incidentally, both were involved with cocoa in this regard.)

PhysicsMHD:

lol. S.L. Akintola was reportedly more charismatic than Awolowo. As for Awolowo, I think you may be confusing prestige and sagacity (the major characteristic usually attributed to him) for charisma. Charisma isn't the be all and end all of politics, anyways. Nkrumah nearly ruined Ghana's economy despite all his charisma, while Awolowo did the opposite for his region (and incidentally, both were involved with cocoa in this regard.)

I forgive you!  It seems you dont know him, never heard him speak and all that.

No, I am not confusing charisma with sagacity, he is extremely charismatic!

But, I understand where you are coming from!

Charisma: a personal attractiveness that enables you to influence others. Ever heard of the word Awoist? what about Ojukwuist?

Fine. Add Awolowo. But then you have to add Ahmadu Bello, Rawlings, Julius Nyerere and other people who don't necessarily have that giant charisma on the continental scale that I thought this was about (even though they are influential and have a lot of prestige.)

Nkrumah was made co-president of another African country after he was kicked out of his! Instead of merely granting him asylum and some degree of lifestyle support in recognition of Ghana's financial assistance to that country under his leadership, he was made co-president. Not a subordinate. Not a government adviser. To what can that be attributed? A very POWERFUL swagger.


Ojukwu won over 90% of Igbos hearts (a rough estimate, probably higher) before the war (with his apparent success at Aburi) and during and after and won recognition by multiple countries inside and outside of Africa. Biafran swagger? I think so.


Awolowo couldn't sway all Yoruba to get behind him and agitate to get the Northern soldiers to leave the West despite his efforts before the war and then before independence there were those in the West who strongly opposed him (Ibadan comes to mind here) and what he stood for. Can we say the same thing about Nkrumah, Sankara, etc.?










(Oh yeah, I forgot to add Jomo Kenyatta to my original list)

Here’s an example of Zik’s mastererful use of his Oratorical skills, believe me I wont want 2 be at d end of one of those.

“It is the mere ranting of an ant”
Chuba Okadigbo(1981) then political adviser to Pres. Shehu Shagari, dismissing Nnamdi Azikiwe's complaints of election fraud.

Zik to Okadigbo –
“My boy, may you live to your full potential, ascend to as dizzy a height as is possible for anyone of your political description in your era to rise. May u be acknowledged world wide as u rise like an eagle atop trees, flota among the clouds, preside over the affairs of fellow men , As leaders of all countries pour into Ngr to breath into her ear. But then, Chuba,if it is not the tradition of our people that elders are roundly insulted by young men before tie world as you have unjustly done to me, may your reign come to an abrupt and shattering close. As you look ahead, Chuba, as u see the horizon, dedicating a great marble palace that is the envy of the world, toasted by the most powerful men in the land, may the great big hand of fate snatch it all away from you. Just as it appears as if nothing can possibly go awry, Chuba, as you look forward to hosting the worlds most powerful leader and shaking his hand, as you begin to smell the recognition and leadership of the Igbo people, may the crown fall off your head and your political head off your shoulders. None of my words will come to pass, Chuba until u have risen to the very height of your power and glory and health, but then u will b hounded and humiliated and disgraced out of office, your credibility and name in tatters forever.

Late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe reacting to Chuba Okadigbos 'ranting of an ant'. . .

Funny enough, it all happened like he said!

PhysicsMHD:


That's the real list right there. Anything else is fabrication.

ouch! that was harsh! I've read about Selassie and he seems to be d most charismatic even tho highly unassuming. thanks.

fstranger1:

I forgive you!  It seems you dont know him, never heard him speak and all that.

No, I am not confusing charisma with sagacity, he is extremely charismatic!

But, I understand where you are coming from!

Charisma: a personal attractiveness that enables you to influence others. Ever heard of the word Awoist? what about Ojukwuist?

They are not of the same orientation. Ojukwu was a soldier while Awo was a populist. . .he shud hav more followers than Ikemba but Ikemba can defeat him in Ibadan if their shud be a contest.

wesley80:

Here’s an example of Zik’s mastererful use of his Oratorical skills, believe me I wont want 2 be at d end of one of those.

“It is the mere ranting of an ant”
Chuba Okadigbo(1981) then political adviser to Pres. Shehu Shagari, dismissing Nnamdi Azikiwe's complaints of election fraud.

Zik to Okadigbo –
“My boy, may you live to your full potential, ascend to as dizzy a height as is possible for anyone of your political description in your era to rise. May u be acknowledged world wide as u rise like an eagle atop trees, flota among the clouds, preside over the affairs of fellow men , As leaders of all countries pour into Ngr to breath into her ear. But then, Chuba,if it is not the tradition of our people that elders are roundly insulted by young men before tie world as you have unjustly done to me, may your reign come to an abrupt and shattering close. As you look ahead, Chuba, as u see the horizon, dedicating a great marble palace that is the envy of the world, toasted by the most powerful men in the land, may the great big hand of fate snatch it all away from you. Just as it appears as if nothing can possibly go awry, Chuba, as you look forward to hosting the worlds most powerful leader and shaking his hand, as you begin to smell the recognition and leadership of the Igbo people, may the crown fall off your head and your political head off your shoulders. None of my words will come to pass, Chuba until u have risen to the very height of your power and glory and health, but then u will b hounded and humiliated and disgraced out of office, your credibility and name in tatters forever.

Late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe reacting to Chuba Okadigbos 'ranting of an ant'. . .

Funny enough, it all happened like he said!

My guy, the gibberish you posted there is not[b] oratory[/b].

Donmeca:

ouch! that was harsh! I've read about Selassie and he seems to be d most charismatic even tho highly unassuming. thanks.

They are not of the same orientation. Ojukwu was a soldier while Awo was a populist. . .he shud hav more followers than Ikemba but Ikemba can defeat him in Ibadan if their shud be a contest.

May be Ikemba should try to get the whole of Alaigbo behind APGA first, before trying to come to Ibadan.

Good to know that Ikemba had a glorious political life and following, unlike AWO who could barely won his home state!. 

I am sure Ikemba has various monuments named after him by his people, unlike Awo with nothing named after him by his people.

Thanks for clarifying the issue!

[size=18pt]Mugabe is the most charismatic African, he may be a nutter,  but boy that man is not only charismatic, he is also one of the most eloquent and versertile orators in the continuent([b]mind you,  those that speak languages other English might also have the same oratory skills[/b]) but as an English Speaker I find Mugabe not only amusing but also unique in the annals of Africa.

more blessings to him, may he live to be 100 years.[/size]

This is a very difficult task for me cos when i think of African leaders, i think of brute force, cunning and deceit, knowing that majority of African leaders got to their positions through such means. I cant seem to picture 'Obama, Clinton or Blair' leaders, who have used their charisma, power of speech and awesome relationship skills to win over the people.

wesley80:

Here’s an example of Zik’s mastererful use of his Oratorical skills, believe me I wont want 2 be at d end of one of those.

“It is the mere ranting of an ant”
Chuba Okadigbo(1981) then political adviser to Pres. Shehu Shagari, dismissing Nnamdi Azikiwe's complaints of election fraud.

Zik to Okadigbo –
     “My boy, may you live to your full potential, ascend to as dizzy a height as is possible for anyone of your political description in your era to rise. May u be acknowledged world wide as u rise like an eagle atop trees, flota among the clouds, preside over the affairs of fellow men ,  As leaders of all countries pour into Ngr to breath into her ear. But then, Chuba,if it is not the tradition of our people that elders are roundly insulted by young men before tie world as you have unjustly done to me, may your reign come to an abrupt and shattering close. As you look ahead, Chuba, as u see the horizon, dedicating a great marble palace that is the envy of the world, toasted by the most powerful men in the land, may the great big hand of fate snatch it all away from you. Just as it appears as if nothing can possibly go awry, Chuba, as you look forward to hosting the worlds most powerful leader and shaking his hand, as you begin to smell the recognition and leadership of the Igbo people, may the crown fall off your head and your political head off your shoulders. None of my words will come to pass, Chuba until u have risen to the very height of your power and glory and health, but then u will b hounded and humiliated and disgraced out of office, your credibility and name in tatters forever.

Late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe reacting to Chuba Okadigbos 'ranting of an ant'. . .

Funny enough, it all happened like he said!

This altercation happened in 1981. The Great Zik of Africa died in 1996. In November 1999, Okadigbo became the Senate President. In August, 2000, he was kicked out on account of alleged corruption, a few weeks before the world’s most powerful man, US President Bill Clinton, was to visit Nigeria and shake him as Nigeria’s number three citizen.

In April 2003, Okadigbo was Major-General Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). The rest, as they say, is history.

fstranger1:

My guy, the gibberish you posted there is not[b] oratory[/b].

Oya go die now

The word Oratory is as subjective as they come, what u consider oratory may not be what I feel same abt. the key ingredient in Oratory would have 2 be 'the ability to move its listener(s). A speaker that could give such an impromptu response using such crafty words should leave u in no doubt as to the depth of his oratorical skills. I've got a couple of his speeches but that was the shortest I could come up with. I'lld luv 2 see those of the people u chose.

I agree with PhysicHmd's list. However, I disagree with his leaving out a giant like Awo and putting Ojukwu at the bottom of his list! In my opinion, none takes the title of being charismatic than Ojukwu. A man who could convince millions of people to advance a cause (some have termed his "personal" ambition) takes the cake on this one!

Idi Amin Dada of Yuganda
Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
Muammar Gaddafi
Nelson Mandela
Kwame Nkurumah
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari
Gen. Sani Abacha