By Eric Teniola

Continued from yesterday

The Sardauna of Sokoto of the NPC and Premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello GCON, had stated that he did not intend to try to enter the Federal House. It was believed that Dr Endeley, Premier of the Southern Cameroons, would not stand as a federal candidate either.
In October, Professor Eyo Ita, a member for Calabar in the Eastern House of Assembly and the Leader of the United National Independence Party resigned from the party and joined NCNC

In accordance with the dictates of his conscience and in obedience to the chiefs and members of his constituency. The professor was for many years the first national Vice-President of the NCNC. From 1952 to May 1953, he was the leader of Government Business and Minister of Natural Resources in the East. During the Constitutional Crisis in 1953, he resigned and formed the National Independence Party, which later merged with Mr Alvan Ikoku’s faction to become the U.N.P. Professor Ita was the leader of the opposition from then until March 1957, when he was displaced by Mr S.G. Ikoku of the Action Group. He resigned from COR state movement in September 1959.

By October 25, 1959, the Political leaders were fully engaged in election Campaign. There were accusations of intimidation, bribery, hypocrisy, etc. Each Party’s representatives had made official complaints to the Governor General about their treatment in the Regions controlled by their opponents.

At a press conference held in Lagos, Mr K. Bovell, Inspector-General of the Nigerian Police described actions which police were taking to ensure fair and orderly elections. There would be 5,000 Nigeria policemen, 1,200 L.A. police and 6,000 Special Constables to maintain order.

Polling stations would number 25,400; 9,600 in the North; 8,000 in the East, 7,500 in the West; and 300 in Lagos. Nine million people would be entitled to vote. The Statistics of registration were as follows: Northern Region—-3,885,000(entitled to register); 3,640,284 (Actual registration) and 93.7% (percentage registration), Eastern Region—-3,423,000(persons entitled to register), 2,598,234 (actual registration) and 75.7 per cent (percentage registration), Western Region—-2,759,000 (entitled to register), 2,653, 188(actual registration) and 96.2 (percentage registration) and Lagos—-1777,000(persons entitled to register),144,000 (Actual registration) and 81.6 per cent (percentage registration).

In the north where the NCNC claimed that party supporters had been attacked at Bida and the NEPU claimed that N.A. had been obstructive, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe said that he hoped that the rulers of the Region would realise social upheaval could not be resolved by harsh laws and imprisonment. In their turn, the Northern Government blamed disturbances on visiting politicians for bad manners and lack of tact, although Alhaji Aliyu Makama Bida had said that Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his supporters had violated Northern traditions, for which they would never be forgiven.

Alhaji Bida also described Action Group campaign by helicopter as both expensive and unreasonable. Arising from a NPC tour of Western Nigeria, the Sardauna of Sokoto had officially complained of ‘Action Group Hooliganism’, and the Northern Minister Health, Alhaji Ahman Pategi, had declared that the main cause of disorder was A.G. and NEPU leaders use of abusive language about their opponent.

In the Eastern Region, Dr. Mbadiwe, leader of the DPNC, had also complained of NCNC hooliganism, while Chief Awolowo had described Azikiwe as a ‘born Dictator’. Continuing his tour of Northern Nigeria, Azikiwe warned NPC leaders that “the Regions taxpayers were dissatisfied and that the opinion of the common man was not being respected. This was a situation conducive to the growth of communism’. Azikiwe said, allegations of hooliganism and violence by all political parties were regularly claimed by their opponents.

Awolowo said that he would ask Sir James Robertson to bring all Nigerian Police directly under the command of Mr. Bovell, Inspector General of Police.

In reply, the NPC issued a statement accusing the A.G. of thus trying to woo the NCNC , and said it would oppose any move to curtail the Northern Region’s internal autonomy. The NCNC leaders, pointed out that until recently the A.G. had advocated regionalisation of all Nigeria Police.

In October 28, 1959, the Governor-General of Nigeria, Sir James Robertson dissolved the Federal Parliament. The Governor called for an end to hooliganism in political campaigning. In a broadcast, Sir James Robertson warned that if the wave of hooliganism now sweeping the country the country was not checked by party leaders, he would instruct police to use sterner measures.

He added that he had written in the most solemn language to leaders of major political parties and their party organisations to put an end to acts of violence or encouragement to violence. He said that on the eve of Nigerian Independence it was unfortunate that campaign meetings should feature lorry loads of cutlasses, broken bottles and rods to beat up political opponents.

Despite obstacles erected by their opponents, all the main politicians were busy touring the country and the Action Group’s ubiquitous helicopter continued to attract attention. From December 7, 1959, Awolowo had been moving along the middle Belt, starting in Adamawa on December 7, and reaching Jos. His helicopter had continued to provide advertisement and excitement, calling the women to leave the Benue ferry to listen to him in Numan. The helicopter took him into remote villages, where no major political leader had penetrated before.

As the windmill descended, its slogan of “Full Employment for All” was suddenly hidden in the cloud of dust. Awolowo emerged for organised women to rush forward, only to be drowned in a second choking storm as the helicopter left the football field.

At Jimeta, Chief Awolowo’s theme was the NA and alkalai oppression of Action Group Supporters in the North. At Jos, much of the speech was devoted to ‘Votes for Women’. At Bornu, the Shehu of Bornu was annoyed at leaflets fluttering from the helicopter into the most secrets part of his palace.

The AG in addition to lavish promise, gave ‘handout’ ‘give away’. The Sardauna said that people should take money offered for their votes but not betray their children by voting that way. There was therefore more to “give-away” than pencils and match-boxes marked with palm trees.

Excluding the eight seats allocated to Southern Cameroons not being contested because the territory had expressed the desire to opt out of Nigerian Federation with which, since 1920 it had been administered by the UK as a mandate by the league of nations. 312 seats were contested. By December 5, nomination lists had closed. Mr R. Okafor administration Secretary of NCNC, candidate for Owerri West was returned unopposed.

For the 174 seats in the North, 550 candidates were nominated —- 170 by NPC and its allies, 156 by NEPU and NCNC, 167 by AG and UMBC and 53 Independents. For the East 73 seats there were 183 nominations NCNC 73; AG 43 and 22 DPNC In the West 170 nominations were received for the 62 seats, with the A.G. and NCNC supplying an equal number of Candidates.
On Saturday, December 12, 1959, the Federal elections took place in orderly atmosphere, although the electoral campaign was vigorous and large number of people were injured, windows broken.

The poll was heavy, no grave incidents occurred and only about 50 people were arrested for the alleged electoral offences. The numbers who voted were 7,185,555. In the Northern Region—3,258,520 (votes cast) and 89.4 per cent (Percentage Poll), Eastern Region—-1,929,754(votes cast) and 75.3 per cent (Percentage Poll), Western Region—-1,887, 209 and 71.2 per cent (Percentage Poll), Lagos—-110,072 (Votes cast) and 76.2 per cent (Percentage Poll).

All prominent Nigerian political leaders were returned. These were Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and all the members of the outgoing Federal Cabinet. The General Election went so well that in the New Year broadcast, the Governor General admitted that the quiet and orderly way in which the election took place on the 12th of December was a major triumph for all those who had planned it.

The Northern People’s Congress was returned as the largest party. The final results announced on December 21 stated that—Northern People’s Congress——142, National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons and its ally NEPU—89, Action Group—-72 and other Parties—-9.

There were some difficulties in forming the Federal Government when once the election was over, not one single party had won enough seats to form the government alone, nor was there desire to form another National Government. As leader of the largest party, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was invited by Sir James Robertson, Governor General, to form a new Federal Cabinet.

To be continued tomorrow.

Teniola, a former director in the Presidency, wrote from Lagos.