Killing Insecurity Through Unity

When, on March 31, 1953, 29-year-old Anthony Enahoro presented a motion in the Federal House of Representatives in Lagos, and called on Britain to grant Nigeria self-government by 1956, the motion was rejected by the Northern People’s Congress (NPC), headed by Sir Ahmadu Bello, who tabled a counter-motion that changed 1956 to “as soon as practicable”. In the heat of the debate, Northern delegates staged a parliamentary walkout, insisting that their region was trailing in both human capital and administrative readiness. The outcome of this disagreement led to the collapse of the Macpherson Constitution, prompting the 1953 London Constitutional Conference, which eventually paved the way for...