History · Lesson 9

The First Republic, civil war, military rule and the Fourth Republic

JAMBWAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

JAMB: Section D 1–9 (First Republic and its crises; military rule; civil war; Gowon, Murtala/Obasanjo, Second Republic, Buhari, Babangida, ING, Abacha, Abdulsalami; Fourth Republic; emerging issues)

WAEC: Section C Nigeria since independence to 2000

NECO: Section C Nigeria since independence to 2000

What you will learn

Describe the structure and problems of the First Republic.
Explain the AG crisis, census crises and election crises.
Explain the causes and consequences of the 1966 coups.
Analyse the causes, course and consequences of the civil war.
Assess the military regimes of Gowon, Murtala/Obasanjo, Buhari, Babangida, Abacha and Abdulsalami.
Describe the Second Republic and its collapse.
Explain the 12 June 1993 crisis and the ING.
Describe the Fourth Republic and issues up to 2000.

Key points

First Republic: parliamentary federation, imbalance, regional parties.
AG crisis 1962; Mid-West 9 Aug 1963.
Census: 1962 cancelled; 1963 = 55.6m (North 29.8m).
1964 NNA v UPGA; 1965 Western election violence.
15 Jan 1966 coup; Ironsi; Decree 34; 29 Jul 1966 counter-coup; Gowon.
Aburi Jan 1967; 12 states 27 May 1967; Biafra 30 May; war to 15 Jan 1970.
Deaths: estimates 500,000–3 million; 3Rs; NYSC 1973.
Murtala 1975–76: 19 states, Abuja; Obasanjo: LG reform, 1979 handover.
Second Republic 1979–83: Shagari; Buhari 31 Dec 1983.
Babangida: SAP, SDP/NRC, Abuja 1991; 12 June 1993 annulled.
ING (Shonekan); Abacha 1993–98; Saro-Wiwa 1995; 36 states 1996; Abdulsalami.
Fourth Republic 29 May 1999; Sharia, Niger Delta, NDDC 2000.

Start here: The First Republic: structure and early strains

Structure

At independence on 1 October 1960, Nigeria was a federation of three regions (North, West, East) with a parliamentary system. The Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, led an NPC–NCNC coalition. Nnamdi Azikiwe was Governor-General and, when Nigeria became a republic on 1 October 1963, ceremonial President. Obafemi Awolowo was Leader of the Opposition. Regional premiers held great power: Ahmadu Bello (North), S. L. Akintola (West, after Awolowo moved to the centre) and Michael Okpara (East).

Underlying weaknesses

Structural imbalance: the Northern Region had more than half the population and seats, so whoever controlled the north could control the federation.
Regional and ethnic parties: each major party was rooted in one region.
Minority agitation: the Tiv riots of 1960 and 1964 against NPC rule in the Middle Belt; demands for a Mid-West state; Niger Delta discontent.
Competition for federal resources and jobs, which made the census and elections life-and-death issues.
The Anglo-Nigerian Defence Pact (1960–62), which students and the opposition attacked as a threat to sovereignty; it was abrogated in 1962.
Corruption and the use of state power against opponents.

The First Republic is remembered for a series of crises that weakened trust in the system: the Action Group crisis (1962), the census crises (1962–63), the general strike (1964), and the federal (1964) and Western (1965) elections.

Achievements to balance the picture

The First Republic was not only a story of crisis. Regional governments expanded education (free primary education in the West from 1955 and in parts of the East), built universities (Nsukka 1960, Ife 1962, Ahmadu Bello University 1962, Lagos 1962), and invested in roads, farm settlements and industries using marketing-board surpluses. Nigeria played an active role in the UN, the Commonwealth and the founding of the OAU in 1963. A balanced answer mentions these.

Worked example 9.1 (WAEC Paper 2)

Identify five problems of the First Republic. Model points: structural imbalance; regional parties; minority agitation (Tiv riots); census controversies; electoral malpractice (1964, 1965); the AG crisis; corruption. Develop each with a date.

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Practice questions

1. Nigeria became a republic in

1963
1960
1966
1979

Show answer

A: 1963
Azikiwe became President.

2. The Mid-Western Region was created in

1967
1976
1991
1963

Show answer

D: 1963
Carved out of the West.

3. The first military coup in Nigeria took place on

1 October 1960
31 December 1983
15 January 1966
29 July 1966

Show answer

C: 15 January 1966
Balewa was killed.

4. The head of state after the January 1966 coup was

Obasanjo
Aguiyi-Ironsi
Gowon
Murtala Mohammed

Show answer

B: Aguiyi-Ironsi
Killed in the July 1966 counter-coup.

5. Gowon created 12 states in

May 1967
1976
1963
1991

Show answer

A: May 1967
Days before secession.

Key words

Coup d’état: Sudden illegal seizure of power, usually by soldiers.
Counter-coup: A coup against the leaders of a previous coup.
State of emergency: Suspension of normal government because of a crisis.
Treasonable felony: Offence of plotting to overthrow the government.
Census: Official count of the population.
Unitary state: State with one central government and no federal units.
Secession: Withdrawal of a region from a state.
Blockade: Cutting off supplies to an area.
3Rs: Reconciliation, Reconstruction, Rehabilitation.
Indigenisation: Transfer of business ownership to Nigerians.
Presidential system: Executive president separate from the legislature.
SAP: Structural Adjustment Programme (from 1986).

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