POLITICAL HISTORY

The political entity known as Nigeria came into formal existence in 1914 with the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates and the Colony of Lagos. It was presided over by a governor-general. For administrative convenience, the country was divided into four units, namely: the Colony of Lagos, the Northern Provinces, the Eastern Provinces and the Western Provinces.

Under a 1922 constitution, the British introduced for the first time in Nigeria, the principle of direct election into the Legislative Council for Lagos and Calabar. And the a Richard Constitution of 1948 conferred on the provinces the responsibility of advising the central government on matters directly affecting them - the provinces.

By 1951, a new Constitution elevated the provinces to regional status. Under this arrangement, party politics really took its root in the country. The National Council Of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) won control of the Eastern Region government while the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) controlled the Northern Region; the Action Group (AG) was the party in power in the Western Region.

In 1957, the Eastern and Western Regions attained self governing status while the Northern Region got the same two years later.

On October 17 1960, Nigeria became an independent country. Prior to that time, the colonial government administered the Northern anal Southern Cameroons as part of Nigeria. But on the eve of Independence, a referendum was conducted that the people of the Cameroons could decide their own fate. While Southern Cameroon decided to leave Nigeria, the people of Northern Cameroon stayed with Nigeria. The area is now the present Taraba State