Have you ever imagined how the map of Nigeria would look like if the former British Southern Cameroon is still part of Nigeria? Given the opportunity to decide their fate though a plebiscite, the British Southern Cameroon opted for Cameroon, while the British Northern Cameroon stuck with Nigeria. Nigeria This Week In History analyses the event that led to the plebiscite.

The “Scramble for Africa” at the end of the 19th century saw to Germany claiming the present day Cameroon as a protectorate.

However, that did not last beyond 1919. After Germany lost the battle of World War 1, its former colony, Cameroon, was given to France and British through the League of Nations Mandate.

The French mandate was known as Cameroon and the British mandate was administered as two areas; Northern Cameroon and southern Cameroon. With the defunct of the League of Nations after the World War II, the British Cameroon came under the United Nations Trusteeship.

You may also like: Nigeria This Week In History: Ikeja Cantonment Bomb Blast

For ease of administration, the British Southern Cameroon was integrated into the Nigeria Eastern Region. This caused a lot of discontent on the side of the Southern Cameroonians as they felt marginalised by the Eastern Region of Nigeria which they complained made them look more of a colony to the Nigeria government than a mandate.

To redress the above complain by the Southern Cameroon, a conference was held in Ibadan in 1950 and this gave birth to a new constitution for Nigeria and the Southern Cameroon in July 1951.

As a result of the new constitution, the British Southern Cameroons was able to conduct the first Parliamentary Elections in the territory. The election brought the first Southern Cameroonian representatives in the Eastern House of Assembly in Enugu, Nigeria, and in the Federal House of Assembly in Lagos, Nigeria.

This did not however put an end to the complain of the British Southern Cameroon about the oppression of the Eastern Region of Nigeria. This led the British Southern Cameroonian representatives in the Eastern House of Assembly in Enugu to declare “benevolent neutrality” and walked out of the House in 1954.

Apparently for permanent solution, the British government at the London conference of 1954 agreed that the British Southern Cameroon should separate from the Eastern Region and enjoy autonomous self governance within the Nigeria federation.

This led to the creation of Southern Cameroonian parliament in 1954 with Dr. E.M.L. Endeley becoming its first premier.

However, with the French Cameroon becoming independent in January 1960 and that of Nigeria in the offing, the question of what to do with British territory of British Cameroons was raised.

Having ruled out independence for the British Southern and Northern Cameroons, a plebiscite was agreed to be held on either to join Nigeria or the French Cameroon. And it was held on 11 February, 1961.

Northern Cameroon, which is of Muslim majority voted to be integrated into Nigeria with 60% to 40%, while the Southern Cameroon which is of Christian majority voted to be integrated into Cameroon with 70.5% to 29.5%.

Northern Cameroon became a region of Nigeria on 31 May, 1961, while Southern Cameroon became part of Cameroon on 1 October, 1961.

Areas that were once part of Northern Cameroon include: Dikwa in Maiduguri, Gwozo in Borno state and Jalingo in Taraba.

For more on Nigeria This Week In History, subscribe to our page and follow us on Facebook and twitter.

https://acegist.com/nigeria-this-week-in-history-british-southern-cameroon-voted-to-be-out-of-nigeria/

It shall never be well with Britain. Jihadist will soon overrun their land. Idiots.

Evil brits..See as they gave north more land mass ad reduced southz land mass..

Funny enuf..The southern cameroon people are facing the main oppression in cameroon now.

ZorGBUooeh:
Evil brits..See as they gave north more land mass ad reduced southz land mass..

Funny enuf..The southern cameroon people are facing the main oppression in cameroon now.

That is the irony of life. They ran into what they were running from. Now they want out there too

Is plebiscite the same as referendum?

PFRB:
Is plebiscite the same as referendum?

Yes, it's the same

PFRB:
Is plebiscite the same as referendum?

Yes, plebiscite is another word for referendum

This goes to show Nigerians that referendum is not a new thing in Nigeria. It is referendum that made it possible for part of Adamawa and Maidugri to be part of Nigeria.

Referendum is not new in Nigeria but when Nnamdi Kanu talks about it, people seem to think he is speaking Latin

Nnamdi’s referendum was also rejected by south east governors and leaders like the Ohaeneze.