30 December 1964. The Election That Changed Nigeria’s Politics

30 December 1964. The Election That Changed Nigeria’s Politics

30 December 1964. The Election That Changed Nigeria’s Politics

On 30 December 1964, Nigeria went to the polls in what would become one of the most consequential elections in the country’s political history. It was only four years after independence, and expectations were still high that parliamentary democracy would help weld together a deeply diverse nation. Yet the elections of that day revealed how fragile the young republic had become.

Nigeria at the time operated a parliamentary system inherited from Britain. Power was shared between the federal government and strong regional governments in the North, West and East. Politics was largely organised along regional and ethnic lines, with the Northern People’s Congress dominant in the North, the National Council of Nigerian Citizens influential in the East, and the Action Group rooted in the West. By 1964, these parties had regrouped into two major alliances. The Nigerian National Alliance was led by the Northern People’s Congress, while the United Progressive Grand Alliance brought together the National Council of Nigerian Citizens and the Action Group faction aligned with it.

The build up to the election was tense. Accusations of intimidation, biased electoral officials and manipulation of voter registers were widespread. Trust in the electoral process was already weak before voting even began. In protest, the United Progressive Grand Alliance called for a boycott of the elections in many constituencies, especially in the Eastern Region and parts of the Mid West. As a result, voting did not take place in several areas, and many seats were declared unopposed.

When the results were announced, the Nigerian National Alliance emerged with a majority in the federal parliament. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was invited to form a government and continued as Prime Minister. However, the victory did little to stabilise the country. Large sections of the population questioned the legitimacy of the elections. The absence of full participation meant that the parliament did not truly reflect the will of the electorate.

Rather than resolving political tensions, the 1964 elections deepened them. The crisis spilled over into the Western Region elections of 1965, which were even more violent and controversial. Together, these events created an atmosphere of breakdown in law, order and confidence in civilian leadership. For many Nigerians, faith in democratic institutions was badly shaken.

Looking back, 30 December 1964 stands as a warning from history. It shows how elections, when poorly managed and widely mistrusted, can undermine democracy instead of strengthening it. The lessons of that day continue to echo in Nigeria’s ongoing struggle to build credible electoral processes and inclusive governance. As a nation, Nigeria still reflects on that moment as one of the early signs that the First Republic was heading toward collapse, a collapse that eventually came with the military coup of January 1966.