1943 Nigerian general election
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Partial general elections were held in Nigeria in 1943, with only two of the four elected seats available.
Background
The previous general elections had been held in 1938. However, since the elections, two by-elections had been held; one in 1940 following the death of Olayinka Alakija and one in 1941 after Kofo Abayomi resigned from the Legislative Council.
Rather than hold fresh elections for all four seats, elections were held for the two seats whose members had served their full five year terms since 1942; the Calabar seat held by Okon Efiong and the Lagos seat held by H. S. A. Thomas. The appointed seats were also refreshed.
Electoral system
The 1922 Nigeria (Legislative Council) Order in Council provided for a 46-member Legislative Council, of which 23 were ex-officio officials, four were nominated officials, up to 15 were appointed unofficial members and four were elected (three in
The franchise was restricted to men aged 21 or over who were British subjects or a native of Nigeria who had lived in their municipal area for the 12 months prior to the election, and who earned at least £100 in the previous calendar year. The right to vote was withheld from those who had been convicted of a crime and sentenced to death, hard labour or prison for more than a year, or were of "unsound mind".[4] Only 341 people registered in Calabar, although the population of the town was 16,653 according to the 1931 census.[5]
All eligible voters could also run as candidates unless they had an undischarged bankruptcy, had received charitable relief in the previous five years or were a public servant.
Campaign
The Calabar seat was contested for the first time since
The one Lagos seat was uncontested as E. A. Akerele was the only candidate. Akerele was a former vice-president of the Nigerian Union of Young Democrats, but ran as an independent.
Results
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independents | 196 | 100.00 | 2 | +1 | |
Total | 196 | 100.00 | 2 | –2 | |
Registered voters/turnout | 341 | – | |||
Source: Tamuno |
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
---|---|---|---|---|
Independents | 196 | 100 | 2 | +1 |
Invalid/blank votes | – | – | – | |
Total | 196 | 100 | 2 | –2 |
Registered voters/turnout | 341 | – | – | |
Source: Tamuno |
By constituency
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Okon Efiong | Independent | 122 | 62.24 | |
Gage Hewett Hall O'Dwyer | Independent | 73 | 37.24 | |
Otu Bassey Otu | Independent | 1 | 0.51 | |
Total | 196 | 100.00 | ||
Registered voters/turnout | 341 | – | ||
Source: Tamuno |
List of members
The Governor appointed 13 unofficial members to the Legislative Council, of which four were Europeans (down from seven in 1938) and nine were Africans (an increase from eight). The four Europeans represented the mining sector and the commercial interests of
Constituency | Member |
---|---|
Elected members | |
Calabar | Okon Efiong |
Lagos | E. A. Akerele |
Jibril Martin (elected in 1940) | |
Ernest Ikoli (elected in 1941) | |
Nominated African members | |
British Cameroons | John Manga Williams |
Colony | T A Ogunbiyi |
Egba | O Moore |
Ibibio | G H H O'Dwyer |
Ibo | E N Egbuna |
Ijebu | Nathaniel Olusoga |
Ondo | L A Lennon |
Oyo Province | Akinpelu Obisesan |
Rivers district | S B Rhodes |
Nominated commercial members | |
Mining | H H W Boyes (Associated Tin Mines) |
Kano | W T Gates |
Lagos | J F. Winter (John Holt) |
Port Harcourt | F Edmondson |
Source: Wheare |
Aftermath
By-elections were held in Lagos in 1945 and 1946 to replace Jibril Martin and Ernest Ikoli (who had been elected in the 1940 and 1941 by-elections respectively) when their five-year terms expired.[10]
References
- ^ Tekena N Tamuno (1966) Nigeria and Elective Representation 1923−1947, Heinemann, pp18−20
- ^ Tamuno, p31
- ^ Joan Wheare (1949) The Nigerian Legislative Council, Faber & Faber, p52
- ^ a b Tamuno, pp33−34
- ^ Tamuno, p128
- ^ Wheare, pp38−39
- ^ Wheare, p39
- ^ a b c Tamuno, p72
- ^ a b Wheare, p200
- ^ Tamuno, p127