Explain six causes of the first military intervention in Nigerian politics.

Answer Details

The first military intervention in Nigerian politics took place on 15 January 1966, when a group of army officers overthrew the First Republic. The causes included the following.

1. Widespread political corruption: Politicians were seen as corrupt and self-serving, enriching themselves at public expense, which discredited the civilian government.
2. Rigging and electoral malpractices: The disputed 1964 federal election and the 1965 Western Region election, marked by massive rigging, thuggery and violence, eroded confidence in the democratic process.
3. Political instability and lawlessness: Breakdown of law and order, especially the violence and killings in the Western Region (the "wild-wild West"), created chaos that the government could not control.
4. Ethnic and regional rivalry: Bitter competition and mistrust among the major ethnic groups and regions weakened national unity and made stable government impossible.
5. Census controversy: The disputed 1962 and 1963 population census, seen as manipulated for political advantage, deepened regional suspicion and conflict.
6. Weak and ineffective leadership: The civilian leaders were seen as unable to solve the nation's problems or curb the excesses of politicians, creating a vacuum the military claimed to fill.
7. Nepotism and tribalism: Favouritism in appointments and the sharing of national resources along ethnic lines caused resentment.