Why was indirect Rule not successful in some parts of Nigeria?

Answer Details

Indirect Rule worked fairly well in Northern Nigeria but was largely unsuccessful in the Eastern and parts of the Western regions for the following reasons:

1. Absence of centralised authority: The Igbo of the East and some Western communities had no powerful emirs or paramount chiefs; they practised a decentralised, republican form of government, so there was no ready-made traditional ruler to rule through.
2. Imposition of warrant chiefs: Where no chiefs existed the British appointed warrant chiefs who lacked traditional legitimacy; the people regarded them as strangers and resented their authority.
3. Abuse of power by warrant chiefs: Many warrant chiefs became corrupt and oppressive, extorting the people and provoking resistance such as the Aba Women's Riot of 1929.
4. Educated elite opposition: The more Westernised South produced educated nationalists who rejected the autocratic and undemocratic character of the system.
5. Cultural and political differences: The democratic, consultative traditions of the South were incompatible with the autocratic style on which Indirect Rule depended.
6. Ignorance of local customs: British officers did not fully understand the political institutions of the South, so their arrangements did not fit the people.

(Any relevant points are acceptable.)