The first political party in Nigeria was the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), founded by Herbert Macaulay in 1923. Its creation was a direct response to the Clifford Constitution of 1922, which introduced the elective principle into Nigerian governance for the first time, allowing a limited number of Nigerians in Lagos and Calabar to vote for representatives on the Legislative Council.
Herbert Macaulay, widely regarded as the father of Nigerian nationalism, established the NNDP to contest these new elections. The party dominated Lagos politics for over a decade, winning all available seats in the Legislative Council elections from 1923 to 1938. Its platform focused on democratic representation, the rights of Lagosians, and opposition to colonial policies that disadvantaged Nigerians.
The other parties listed were all founded significantly later:
The NCNC (National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, later National Council of Nigerian Citizens) was founded in 1944 by Herbert Macaulay and Nnamdi Azikiwe.
The NPC (Northern People's Congress) was established in 1949.
The AG (Action Group) was founded in 1951 by Obafemi Awolowo.
The NNDP's founding in 1923 makes it the earliest political party in Nigerian history.
