Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardFirst Republic Politics and Major Crises (1960–1966)

Match each political crisis of Nigeria's First Republic listed in Column A with its primary political cause or constitutional outcome in Column B.

  • Action Group Split and Western Emergency Declaration (1962)Triggered by ideological friction between Obafemi Awolowo and Samuel Akintola over regional alignment with the Northern People's Congress (NPC).
  • Demographic Enumeration Dispute (1962–1963)Prompted allegations of deliberate population inflation aimed at preserving the North's structural parliamentary majority.
  • Federal Parliamentary Election Boycott (1964)Resulted in a constitutional impasse where the ceremonial President initially declined to reappoint the Prime Minister.
  • Western House of Assembly Election Chaos (1965)Generated widespread lawlessness ('Operation Wetie') that served as a direct catalyst for the January 1966 military overthrow.

Answer

Action Group Split and Western Emergency Declaration (1962) matches Triggered by ideological friction between Obafemi Awolowo and Samuel Akintola; Demographic Enumeration Dispute (1962–1963) matches Prompted allegations of deliberate population inflation; Federal Parliamentary Election Boycott (1964) matches Resulted in a constitutional impasse where the ceremonial President initially declined to reappoint the Prime Minister; Western House of Assembly Election Chaos (1965) matches Generated widespread lawlessness ('Operation Wetie') that served as a direct catalyst for the January 1966 military overthrow.
Each event is matched with its correct historical cause or institutional consequence. The 1962 Action Group crisis arose from intra-party leadership rift between Awolowo and Akintola; the census controversy centered on regional seats and demographic counts; the 1964 election crisis caused a president-prime minister constitutional impasse; and the 1965 election violence directly catalyzed the military coup of January 1966.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the 1962 Action Group Crisis
Identify that the conflict was an internal party leadership battle between Awolowo and Akintola regarding central government coalition strategy.
This led directly to parliamentary fighting in Ibadan and the federal emergency intervention.
2
Examine the 1962/1963 Census Dispute
Recognize that federal representation in the House of Representatives depended on regional population counts.
Southern politicians rejected Northern demographic figures as inflated to maintain political hegemony.
3
Evaluate the 1964 Federal Election Crisis
Link the election boycott by the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA) to President Azikiwe's initial refusal to swear in Prime Minister Balewa.
This exposed the constitutional ambiguity in executive authority between the ceremonial Head of State and parliamentary Head of Government.
4
Assess the 1965 Western Regional Election Crisis
Connect electoral fraud and resultant violence ('Operation Wetie') to the total breakdown of law and order.
Civil destabilization in the West provided the immediate trigger for young military officers to execute Nigeria's first military coup on January 15, 1966.

Key Concept

Political Crises and Constitutional Standoffs of Nigeria's First Republic (1960–1966)
Estimated Time:2m 30s
Rate this question

Topics

First Republic Politics and Major Crises (1960–1966)