GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 1960 - 1966 Flashcards
Political Parties in the First Republic
The three major political parties that dominated the Nigeria s First Republic s politics were formed in response to the challenges posed by the Richards Constitution of 1946. The Constitution had introduced three regions, each with a Legislature and a House of Chiefs (with the exception of the Eastern region which had but only one chamber) and provided for electoral process through which the members for the regional and central parliaments were elected. However, the reforms reflected in the Macpherson s constitution of 1951 attracted the formation of the major political parties that held sway in the First Republic which was terminated in 1966. The three political parties were metamorphosis of tribal unions of the major ethnic groups that dominated the political scene during the period.
Action Group (AG)
This party which was formed in 1951 drew most of its members from the Egbe Omo Oduduwa (a Yoruba Socio-cultural group) and a splinter group of the Nigerian Youth Movement (See Sklar, 1963:101-11). The party was led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo who later became the first Premier of the Western Region on the platform of the party until 1955 when he moved to the Central to become the official Opposition Leader of the parliament.
The main objectives of the Action Group party were, among others:
- To bring and organize within its fold, all nationalists in the Western Region, so that they may work together as a united Party, and submit themselves to party loyalty and discipline.
- To prepare and present to the public, programmes for all departments of government, and to strive faithfully to ensure the effectuation of such programmes through those of its members that are elected into the Western House of Assembly and the Federal Legislature (See Olusanya, 1973:139-40).
The following personalities were the pioneer officers elected when the party was launched in 1951 at Owo
(See Ojiako, 1981:68-70):
President - Chief Obafemi Awolowo
Vice-President (West) - Dr. J. A Doherty Vice-President (East)
Dr. E. O. Awhuche Vice-President (North)
Alh. Sule Maito - Federal Secretary
Mr. Ayotunde Rosiji - Federal Treasurer
Alh. S. O. Gbadamosi - Federal Publicity Secretary
Mr. S. O. Shonibare - Legal Adviser (West)
Mr. A. M. A. Akinloye - Legal Adviser (East)
Mr. A. Adeoba - Legal Adviser (North)
Vacant Party Chaplain
Rev. E. O. Alayande - Party Imam
Mallam M. S. Yabagi - Father of the Party
Dr. Akinola Maja - Deputy Leader
Chief S. L. Akintola - Organising Secretary
Mr. S. T. Oredein - Party Manager
Mr. O. Agunbiade-Bamishe - Administrative Secretary
Northern People s Congress (NPC)
This party also started as a socio-cultural organization called Jamiyyar Muutanen Arewa which was one of the associations formed by the Northern educated elements in the 1940s. The organization became the Northern People s Congress when it became apparent that the North required a legitimate political party to lead the people and also work the new Constitution of 1951.
The party adopted One North, One People as its motto and declared the followings as its objectives:
- Regional autonomy within one Nigeria.
- Local government reform within a progressive Emirate system based on tradition and custom. • The voice of the people to be heard in all the Council of the North.
- Drives for education throughout the whole North, lying due emphasis on the improvement of the social, economic, and cultural life of the people.
- Eliminate bribery and corruption in every sphere.
- Eventual self-government for Nigeria with Dominion status within the British Commonwealth. • Membership of the Northern People s Congress to be open to all people of Northern descent, whether as individuals or as a union or as a political party.
- Industrial and economic development of the Northern Region. (See Okafor, 1981:210).
The following personalities were its pioneer officers:
President General Alh. Sir Ahmadu Bello
1st Vice-President Alh. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
2nd Vice-President Alh. Mohammadu Ribadu
General Secretary Abba Mohammadu Habib
General Treasurer Alh. Aliyu Makama Bida Gen.
Financial Secretary Alh. Issa Kaita
North Regional President Mall.
Ibrahim Musa Gashash Organising Secretary I
Mall. Habib Raji Abdullah Organising Secretary II
Mall. Mohammadu King Publicity Secretary
Mall. Abubakar Tugar Administrative Secretary
Mall. Garba Abuja
National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC)
In alliance with the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), this could have been the only nationally-oriented party (See Okafor, 1981:201) in the post-independent Nigeria having been jointly formed in 1945 by Herbert Macaulay and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe under the name: National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons which later became the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) when the Cameroons was excised from Nigeria. The party came into being after the demise of the NNDP which had dominated the Lagos politics until the domination was challenged by the Nigerian Youth Movement. However, the Earnest Ikoli and Oba Samuel Akinsanya (the Odemo of Isara s) crisis (See Azikiwe, 1957:7-8) that led to the disintegration of the Nigerian Youth Movement in the 40s paved the way for the NCNC. The leadership of the party consisted of prominent nationalists like Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, L. A. Onojobi, A. Ogedegbe, E. A. Akerele, L. Odunsi, D. C. Osadebay and A. O. Olorun-Nimbe.
Its cardinal objectives were stated thus
:
• To extend democratic principles and to advance the interests of the people of Nigeria and the Cameroons, under the British Mandate.
• To organize and collaborate with all its branches throughout the country.
• To adopt suitable means for the purpose of imparting political education to the people of Nigeria with a view to achieving self- government.
• To afford the members the advantages of a medium of expression in order to secure political freedom, economic security, social equality and religious toleration in Nigeria and th e Cameroons, as a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations (See Okafor, 1981:195).
One of the notable minor parties that took part in the politics of the First Republic was
the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) formed by the radicals in the leadership of the Northern Peoples’ Congress who were expelled from the NPC on the basis of irreconcilable ideological differences by the conservative elements in the party.
The Federal Elections of 1959
The federal election that ushered in the First Republic in Nigeria was conducted on December 12, 1959 (See Ojiako, 1981:76&76). The elections outcome witnessed the movement of Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the Action Group and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of the NCNC from their respective Regional P remiership positions in the West and East to the Federal Legislature. On the contrary, the Premier of the Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto decided to remain in the saddle as Premier of the Northern Region, seconding his Deputy, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa to hold forth as the NPC Leader in the Federal Legislature.
