Parliamentary elections were held in Nigeria on 12th December 1959. The results were a hung parliament with no clear majority to form a government. Zik's National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC) came first with 2,594,577 votes to get 81 seats.
Awolowo's Action Group ( AG) came second with 1,992,364 votes to get 73 seats while the Ahmadu Bellow's Northern People's Congress (NPC) came a distant third with 1,922,179 votes to get 134 of the 312 seats in the House of Representatives despite getting less public votes.

The above major political parties (NCNC, AG & NPC) in the election did not have enough number of seats to form a government. Alliance had to be formed to determine who would rule. It was no brainier that Zik's NCNC and Awolowo's Action Group should make a coalition government as they came first and second respectively.
Awolowo then humbled himself and volunteered to be a Deputy Prime Minister or a Finance Minister in a coalition government with Zik as the Prime Minister. This is because Zik's NCNC had more public votes than Awolowo's Action Group. Zik invited Awolowo's team to Asaba, the gateway between the Yoruba's Western Region and Igbo's Eastern Region for coalition talks.

The talks were a clever ruse to keep Action Group hopes high so that Action Group would be kept distracted from meeting with other minor parties for talks, including: Northern Elements Progressive Union with 8 seats; Mobolaje Grand Alliance with 6 seats; Igala Union with 4 seats; Independent Candidate with 4 seats; Igbira Tribal Union with 4 seats and Niger Delta Congress with 1 seat.
Whilst Action Group team was waiting in Asaba for a meeting with the NCNC, they read in the news that Zik and the NCNC had gone up North and clinched the deal with Ahmadu Bellow on forming a coalition government with the NPC. Tafawa Balewa, a Fulani would be the Prime Minister of Nigeria while Zik would be the figurehead Governor-General.

Even Nkrumah of Ghana was shocked. He asked Zik why having spent so much energy fighting for colonial emancipation and then settling for a toothless bulldog role when Nigeria needed him the most. Zik write in his autobiography why he did not form a coalition government with Awolowo.
In 1947, with over £13,500 raised from the Yoruba people and given to the NCNC, Zik had led other six prominent NCNC delegates to London to protest the "obnoxious laws" of Governor Arthur Richards. The trip ended in failure with backbiting, abuses and accusations of theft against Zik. Zik's opponents at the NCNC accused him of squandering the money and the trust of Nigerians.

Zik replied insinuating that the Yoruba on the team that are; Mrs. Fumilayo Ransome-Kuti, Prince Adeleke Adedoyin and Dr. A. B. Olorunnimbe were the problem. This erupted a heated and prolonged press war between Zik's Political Reminiscence in his West African Pilot and H. O. Davies Political Panorama in the Daily Service.
This led Igbos in Lagos rushing to buy machetes in large numbers thinking a trial war was imminent. The Governor and his General Secretary, Hugh Foot quickly called Zik and H.O Davies to order at the Government House. Zik went away with resolve that the Yoruba must not be allowed to rule over others in Nigeria.

Also, Daily Service which published Zik's speech in 1949 about Igbos being destined by God to conquer and rule over others. All this among others could explain why Zik did not form coalition government with Awolowo in 1959.

The Fulani had been reading Zik through the lens of his 1949 speech ever since and the best way of neutralising him when opportunity came in 1959 was to offer him a powerless post which surprisingly he dutifully accepted in place of being a Prime Minister. Zik had thought that the Fulani can easily be manipulated in place of educated Yoruba.
Tafawa Balewa was manipulated to remove from the Western Region the Edo, Urhobo, Itsekiri and Western Ijaw that account for 70% of the oil wealth in Nigeria and created for them the Mid-West Region.



The Igbo coup plotters in 1966 which eliminated some Northern and Western leaders try to undo Zik's mistake and this resulted in the civil war. The leaders eliminated are;

The Premier of the Northern Region and Sarduana of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello; 
The Premier of the Western Region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola. 
Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, ( he was abducted and his dead body was discovered six days later at a roadside in Lagos. )
Nigeria's first Finance Minister Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh (same fate with Tafawa Balewa)
Brig-Gen. Samuel Ademulegun and his wife, 
Brig-Gen. Zakariya Maimalari, 
Col. Kur Mohammed, 
Col. Shodeinde 
Lt.-Col. Abogo Largema.

Our past leaders, despite trying very hard for colonial emancipation could not let go of their bitterness and self-interest and this beclouded their foresight and commitment which gave Fulani impetus rule over others and to hold on to power, the Fulani enlisted the backing of serving career Politicians in England

In 1979, Nigeria had a better chance to be on the right directions again but Chief Olusegun Obasanjo manipulated the election to favour the elites and we have never gotten it right till present.
By 2019, it will be exactly 60years when coalition government between two great men who fought tirelessly for colonial emancipation and who could have led us to a better Nigeria failed because they could not let go of their bitterness.

By 2019 also my fear is history may possibly repeat itself because despite the atrocities OBJ and Atiku committed bringing us into present hardship by introducing 4 different denominations without corresponding increase in productivities which has brought us into present day hyperinflation. Yet people could still be supporting Atiku because they are embittered and full of hatred for this administration.
Though I may not support everything about this administration, yet they are in the right direction Nigeria needs to be. Enough of looting and sharing of public funds. If we didn't get in right by 2019, we may never get it right again.

Think twice and let go of any bitterness so as to make a better Nigeria where son of nobody will become somebody without knowing .

Absolutely right..that was one of the reasons why ojukwu removed Azikwe from the VC of the university of Nigeria,Nsukka ,since the latter failed to act when he seemed to have had a chance during the national political crisis..and installed the Emir of kano,as the Vc of the nsukka university..on the issue of Obj..history will never forgive him..but on the issue of Azik..he must be forgiven because he is now dead.thanks

From the aforementioned, you wrote that our leaders should let go of their bitterness which I totally support because the present situation in the country craves for a change. Bitterness is the only obstacle that may hinder the needed change in government come 2019.

I pray Nigerians to shun bitterness and do the right thing by changing this government.

Ogeekay112:
Parliamentary elections were held in Nigeria on 12th December 1959. The results were a hung parliament with no clear majority to form a government. Zik's National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC) came first with 2,594,577 votes to get 81 seats.
Awolowo's Action Group ( AG) came second with 1,992,364 votes to get 73 seats while the Ahmadu Bellow's Northern People's Congress (NPC) came a distant third with 1,922,179 votes to get 134 of the 312 seats in the House of Representatives despite getting less public votes.

The above major political parties (NCNC, AG & NPC) in the election did not have enough number of seats to form a government. Alliance had to be formed to determine who would rule. It was no brainier that Zik's NCNC and Awolowo's Action Group should make a coalition government as they came first and second respectively.
Awolowo then humbled himself and volunteered to be a Deputy Prime Minister or a Finance Minister in a coalition government with Zik as the Prime Minister. This is because Zik's NCNC had more public votes than Awolowo's Action Group. Zik invited Awolowo's team to Asaba, the gateway between the Yoruba's Western Region and Igbo's Eastern Region for coalition talks.

The talks were a clever ruse to keep Action Group hopes high so that Action Group would be kept distracted from meeting with other minor parties for talks, including: Northern Elements Progressive Union with 8 seats; Mobolaje Grand Alliance with 6 seats; Igala Union with 4 seats; Independent Candidate with 4 seats; Igbira Tribal Union with 4 seats and Niger Delta Congress with 1 seat.
Whilst Action Group team was waiting in Asaba for a meeting with the NCNC, they read in the news that Zik and the NCNC had gone up North and clinched the deal with Ahmadu Bellow on forming a coalition government with the NPC. Tafawa Balewa, a Fulani would be the Prime Minister of Nigeria while Zik would be the figurehead Governor-General.

Even Nkrumah of Ghana was shocked. He asked Zik why having spent so much energy fighting for colonial emancipation and then settling for a toothless bulldog role when Nigeria needed him the most. Zik write in his autobiography why he did not form a coalition government with Awolowo.
In 1947, with over £13,500 raised from the Yoruba people and given to the NCNC, Zik had led other six prominent NCNC delegates to London to protest the "obnoxious laws" of Governor Arthur Richards. The trip ended in failure with backbiting, abuses and accusations of theft against Zik. Zik's opponents at the NCNC accused him of squandering the money and the trust of Nigerians.

Zik replied insinuating that the Yoruba on the team that are; Mrs. Fumilayo Ransome-Kuti, Prince Adeleke Adedoyin and Dr. A. B. Olorunnimbe were the problem. This erupted a heated and prolonged press war between Zik's Political Reminiscence in his West African Pilot and H. O. Davies Political Panorama in the Daily Service.
This led Igbos in Lagos rushing to buy machetes in large numbers thinking a trial war was imminent. The Governor and his General Secretary, Hugh Foot quickly called Zik and H.O Davies to order at the Government House. Zik went away with resolve that the Yoruba must not be allowed to rule over others in Nigeria.

Also, Daily Service which published Zik's speech in 1949 about Igbos being destined by God to conquer and rule over others. All this among others could explain why Zik did not form coalition government with Awolowo in 1959.

The Fulani had been reading Zik through the lens of his 1949 speech ever since and the best way of neutralising him when opportunity came in 1959 was to offer him a powerless post which surprisingly he dutifully accepted in place of being a Prime Minister. Zik had thought that the Fulani can easily be manipulated in place of educated Yoruba.
Tafawa Balewa was manipulated to remove from the Western Region the Edo, Urhobo, Itsekiri and Western Ijaw that account for 70% of the oil wealth in Nigeria and created for them the Mid-West Region.



The Igbo coup plotters in 1966 which eliminated some Northern and Western leaders try to undo Zik's mistake and this resulted in the civil war. The leaders eliminated are;

The Premier of the Northern Region and Sarduana of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello; 
The Premier of the Western Region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola. 
Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, ( he was abducted and his dead body was discovered six days later at a roadside in Lagos. )
Nigeria's first Finance Minister Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh (same fate with Tafawa Balewa)
Brig-Gen. Samuel Ademulegun and his wife, 
Brig-Gen. Zakariya Maimalari, 
Col. Kur Mohammed, 
Col. Shodeinde 
Lt.-Col. Abogo Largema.

Our past leaders, despite trying very hard for colonial emancipation could not let go of their bitterness and self-interest and this beclouded their foresight and commitment which gave Fulani impetus rule over others and to hold on to power, the Fulani enlisted the backing of serving career Politicians in England

In 1979, Nigeria had a better chance to be on the right directions again but Chief Olusegun Obasanjo manipulated the election to favour the elites and we have never gotten it right till present.
By 2019, it will be exactly 60years when coalition government between two great men who fought tirelessly for colonial emancipation and who could have led us to a better Nigeria failed because they could not let go of their bitterness.

By 2019 also my fear is history may possibly repeat itself because despite the atrocities OBJ and Atiku committed bringing us into present hardship by introducing 4 different denominations without corresponding increase in productivities which has brought us into present day hyperinflation. Yet people could still be supporting Atiku because they are embittered and full of hatred for this administration.
Though I may not support everything about this administration, yet they are in the right direction Nigeria needs to be. Enough of looting and sharing of public funds. If we didn't get in right by 2019, we may never get it right again.

Think twice and let go of any bitterness so as to make a better Nigeria where son of nobody will become somebody without knowing .

Very educative. Pls I need such write ups. Can you recommend any website or e-book?