Since the dawn of independence, Nigeria’s political structure has wavered between democracy and military dictatorship consumed by rivalries either between Political parties or Military takeover. Here is a probe into the major political and leadership rivalries over time in Nigeria’s history.
First Republic (1960-1966) Sir Ahmadu Bello vs Obafemi Awolowo
In 1960, Nigeria gained independence from British rule, becoming a republic in 1963. Regional political parties, like NPC in the North, Action Group in the West, and NCNC in the East and Midwest, emerged due to fears of regional dominance.
The NCNC and NPC formed a coalition for north-south consensus. Nnamdi Azikiwe (NCNC) became president, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (NPC) prime minister, and Obafemi Awolowo (AG) leader of the opposition.
The 1964 election saw a divided political landscape, leading to violence. In 1965, the military seized power, marking the collapse of the first republic on January 15, 1966.
First Republic (1960-1966) Awolowo vs Akintola
Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the leader of the Action Group (AG) party and premier of the Western region government while Chief Samuel Ládòkè Akíntọ́lá was the deputy leader of the party in the 1960’s.
Decisions over the direction of strategic alliances by the party, the adoption of democratic socialism as the party’s platform, and the Battle for supremacy in the party led to disagreement between Chiefs Akintola and Awolowo.
Akintola disagreed with Awolowo’s decision not to join the coalition government. In 1962, after a split in the leadership of the AG that led to a crisis in the Western Region, a state of emergency was declared in the region, and the federal government invoked its emergency powers to administer the region directly.
These actions resulted in removing the AG from regional power. Awolowo, its leader, along with other AG leaders, was convicted of treasonable felony.
Military Rule (1966-1979) Gowon vs Ojukwu
After the first republic an era of military rule was introduced with Major General Aguiyi Ironsi as the first military head of state. He abolished the federal system and adopted a unitary system of government which sparked outrage in the country.
A counter coup in July 1966 occurred resulting in the death of General Aguiyi and his trusted Allies. Lieutenant Colonel (later General) Yakubu Gowon emerged as the new military head of state, he first reinstated the federal system and allotted four regions. Relations between the federal government and the Eastern region were strained led by the military governor.
Chukwuema Ojukwu this was fueled by the elimination of Igbo officers including Maj General Aguiyi Ironsi. This marked the start of the Nigerian Civil War “Biafra War” in 1967 and lasted till 1970. General Gowon was overthrown in a coup in July 1975 and succeeded by General Murtala Muhammad, who was assassinated in February 1976 and then replaced by General Obasanjo, his second in command.
The Obasanjo regime kept the transition process plan initiated by Murtala Muhammad and on 1st October 1979 power was handed over to the civilian government.
Second Republic (1979-1983) Shagari vs Awolowo
The second republic saw the enactment of the 1979 constitution which introduced the presidential system of government. In the 1979 presidential election National Party of Nigeria (NPN) representative Shehu Shagari was declared the winner.
Awolowo the presidential candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) led other candidates to challenge the declaration in the Supreme Court but it was to no avail. The second republic was replete with inter-party conflicts.
Tensions worsened during the 1983 general election similar to those of 1964-1965, the NPN won once again however evidence of falsified results surfaced which led to another military intervention in 1983.
Military Rule (1983 to 1985) Buhari/Idiagbon vs Ibrahim Babangida
On December 31st, 1983 the army struck again, Major General Muhammadu Buhari became the head of state alongside General Tunde Idiagbon as his deputy. The structure of Government remained essentially the same as Obasanjo’s regime.
However, on August 27, 1985, Major General Muhammadu Buhari was overthrown in a palace coup. Major General Ibrahim Babangida became Nigeria’s sixth military leader and as of 1990, the most powerful, important changes were made in the structure of military federalism, for the first time a military head of state will be called president.
In 1992 a coup headed by Major Gideon Orkar almost toppled the Babangida’s regime but the head of state escaped. The involvement of civilians allegedly helped finance the operation of the coup, these circumstances led the Babangida’s regime to continue the planned transition to civilian rule in 1992.
The third republic could be termed as half military rule and half civilian rule as Major General Babangida kept postponing the democratic elections.
Image Credit: The Advocate
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Image Credit: The Guardian Nigeria
MKO Abiola vs Abacha (1993 to 1994):
Chief MKO Abiola won Nigeria’s first free and democratic elections in 1993, he campaigned to end dictatorial oppression by uniting Nigeria’s many tribes, religions, and regional differences into a single nation.
However, the election was annulled by Ibrahim Babangida causing a political crisis which led to General Sani Abacha seizing power later that year. In 1994 Moshood Abiola, M.K.O. declared himself the lawful president of Nigeria.
After declaring himself president he was declared wanted and was accused of treason and arrested on the orders of military President General Sani Abacha He called his 1993 campaign “Hope”. In August 1993, Babangida resigned from office. He signed a decree establishing the Interim National Government led by Shonekan who was subsequently sworn in as head of state.
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Image Credit: Wikipedia
Over the years since Nigeria’s independence, the quest for power has intensified amongst military groups and political parties at the national, state, and local levels resulting in political and economic instability in the nation.
Political rivalry will always be contemporary in a democratic country, how Nigeria can divert this rivalry from becoming a regional and religious contest remains unmet. In the next episode, we will delve into the transition era that brought in the 4th Republic after the historic annulment of the June 12 Election.
In conclusion, the landscape of Nigeria’s early political history was marked by rivalries between prominent figures and the shifts between democracy and military rule. The duo’s quest for power fueled the political instability that bewildered the country’s independence.
From the First Republic’s regional tensions to the Second Republic’s contested elections and the tumultuous military regimes, the nation grappled with internal struggles. MKO Abiola’s election victory, annulled by Babangida, and the subsequent rise of Abacha further intensified the political climate.
As Nigeria approaches the 4th Republic, the challenge remains to navigate political rivalries, ensuring they don’t deepen regional and religious divides. Therefore, the journey toward a stable democratic future awaits exploration in the next episode.
