1938 Nigerian general election

none August 2026August 2026 General elections were held in Nigeria on 21 October 1938. The Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) won three of the four elected seats in the Legislative Council, defeating the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), which had won every election since 1923. 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 Lagos and one in Calabar).Tekena N Tamuno (1966) Nigeria and Elective Representation 1923−1947, Heinemann, pp18−20Tamuno, p31 The 23 ex officio officials included the Governor, the Chief Secretary and their deputy, the Lieutenant Governors and secretaries of the Northern and Southern Provinces, the Attorney General, the Commandant of the Nigerian Regiment, the Director of Medical Services, the Treasurer, the Director of Marine, the Comptroller of Customs, the Secretary of Native Affairs, together with ten senior residents.Joan Wheare (1949) The Nigerian Legislative Council, Faber & Faber, p52 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". Only 908 people registered to vote in Lagos out of a population of over 126,000, whilst just 107 registered in Calabar (the population of the town was 16,653 according to the 1931 census).Tamuno, p128 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.Wheare, pp38−39 Candidates were required to obtain the nomination of at least three registered voters and pay a £10 deposit.Tamuno, pp33−34 The term of the council was five years.Wheare, p39 Campaign Six candidates contested the three Lagos seats, three from the NNDP and three from the NYM. Two of the NNDP candidates (Crispin Adeniyi-Jones and Eric Moore) were sitting Council members, whilst Ayo Williams ran as a joined NNDP and Nigerian Union of Young Democrats candidate, replacing former NNDP legislator T. A. Doherty. The NYM nominated Kofo Abayomi, Olayinka Alakija and H. S. A. Thomas. In Calabar the independent Okon Efiong was the only candidate, and was elected unopposed.Tamano, p126 Results Nigerian Youth Movement 1506 3 New Nigerian National Democratic Party 817 0 –3 Independents 1 +1 0 908 Tamuno By constituency Lagos (three members) H.S.A. Thomas Nigerian Youth Movement 520 Kofo Abayomi Nigerian Youth Movement 514 Olayinka Alakija Nigerian Youth Movement 472 Crispin Adeniyi-Jones Nigerian National Democratic Party 306 Eric Moore Nigerian National Democratic Party 272 Ayo Williams Nigerian National Democratic Party 239 0 908 Tamuno List of members Governor Bernard Bourdillon appointed 15 unofficial members to the Legislative Council, of which seven were Europeans and eight Africans (an increase from seven Africans in the 1933 elections). The seven Europeans represented commercial interests, with three representing the banking, mining and shipping sectors, and four representing commercial interests of Calabar, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt.Wheare, p81 The eight Africans represented the Colony of Lagos, Ijebu, Oyo Province, Rivers district, the Egba, Ibibio and the Ibo, as well as one seat representing the cities of Benin and Warri. The Ijebu and Ibibio seats were new, whilst the African Traders seat had been discontinued; its former representative B O E Amobi became the new appointed member for the Ibo,Wheare, pp199–200 after being nominated by the Onitsha Native Authority.Wheare, p72 The Ibibio representative Nyong Essien was nominated by the Ibibio League, which was affiliated with the NYM. Three of the seven European appointed members were new; W V Wootton as the Calabar representative, D D Gibb as the banking representative and H H W Boyes as the mining representative. The only new African members were Nyong Essien and Nathaniel Olusoga, who represented the new seats. ConstituencyMemberElected membersCalabarOkon EfiongLagosH.S.A. ThomasKofo AbayomiOlayinka AlakijaNominated African membersBenin & WarriA EgbeColonyHenry Rawlingson CarrEgbaAdeyemo AlakijaIbibioNyong EssienIboB.O.E. AmobiIjebuNathaniel OlusogaOyo ProvinceN.D. OyerindeRivers districtS.B. RhodesNominated commercial membersBankingD.D. Gibb (British Bank of West Africa)MiningH.H.W. Boyes (Associated Tin Mines)ShippingH.S. FeggetterCalabarW.V. Wootton (John Holt & Co)KanoW.T. OgdenLagosR.M. Williams (United Africa Company)Port HarcourtP.H. DaveySource: Wheare Aftermath The next full Legislative Council elections were not held until 1947 due to World War II. By-elections were held to replace members in 1940 and 1941, before partial elections were held in 1943. Two additional African members were appointed in 1942 representing Ondo (M C Adeniyi) and British Cameroons (J M Williams). References Category:Parliamentary elections in Nigeria Nigeria General election Nigerian general election Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results