What role did Nnamdi Azikiwe hold in independent Nigeria?

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Nnamdi Azikiwe was a pivotal nationalist figure who served as the first president of independent Nigeria from 1963 to 1966.1

Following the 1959 federal elections, which preceded the country's independence, Azikiwe held several significant roles. While Abubakar Tafawa Balewa assumed the position of prime minister, Azikiwe served as the president of the Senate and as governor-general before ultimately becoming the nation's first president.1

Beyond his formal political offices, Azikiwe was a founder of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons and previously served as the premier of the Eastern region from 1954 to 1959.1