Nigeria’s self-rule after independence

Nigeria’s self-rule after independence

“Aunty Ifeoma sat with us, glancing often at the TV as she ate.” I don’t understand why they fill our television with second rate Mexican shows and ignore all the potential our people have,” she muttered.” (123)

“A politician’s mouth is full of monuments

Rumbustious raconteurs whose landmarks

Bump into each other

Like rudderless speed boats” Ebi Yeibo

The first republic refers to Nigeria’s self-rule after independence. The period lasted between October 1, 1960, and January 15, 1966, when the government was overthrown through a coup d’ état. At independence, the country had all signs of hope and democracy. Nigeria had a democratic constitution that covered three main areas. Unlike other African states, Nigeria’s constitution contained a well-structured bill of rights that protected its citizens from exploitation. The country embraced a multiparty system that provided a broader room for democracy. The majority of African nations opposed the idea.

One of the country’s weaknesses in the constitution was the regional multiparty system. The outgoing colonial government had speculated that the development of national politics would minimize the effects of power imbalance. It, however, underestimated the adverse effects of regional political parties. Initially, the country had three political parties, the Northern People’s Congress, which controlled the North, and the Action group, which controlled the western region. The national council of Nigerian citizens managed the Midwestern and the eastern part. The first republic was also marked with the emergence of minor political parties that pressed their demands for independence.

In the first general election to determine which party would rule in the immediate post-colonial era, the NPC won the election but did not have enough political power to rule the country. This inability resulted in the formation of a coalition government between NPC and NCNC. The greatest challenge facing the coalition government was the NPC decision to use the government’s power in favor of the North, which had a large population that translated to stronger political power. The south, on the other hand, were the major exporters of agricultural products. In the first National Development Plan, most federal government projects went to the North. The government further allocated most of the military establishments to the North. This decision resulted in the recruitment of unqualified personnel in government positions leaving out qualified southerners. The result of this development imbalance was political polarization, which threatened the young republic.

The NCNC hoped the regional power would shift in favor of the south after the 1962 census. This belief was based on the previous agreement that parliamentary seats were to be allocated depending on the two regions’ population. The two political parties approached the census as a contest for political power. “The contest resulted in several malpractices: inflated figures, electoral violence, falsification of results, and manipulation of population figures.” Despite evidence of population manipulation in the south, the results indicated the North was more populated. The southerners rejected the results, which led to the cancelation of the census, and a fresh one was called the following year.

In conclusion, the country had one of the most democratic aspirations, which would drive the first republic to a better level. However, regional multiparty politics contributed in many negative ways. For instance, the NPC neglected the Southern Region in the First Development Plan. Employment of less qualified northerners reduced the government’s efficiency, which led to poor service delivery. The struggle for the federal power between the two administrative regions resulted in the manipulation of census results, which cost the country a fortune.