411 REFERENCE · Wikipedia
1933 Nigerian general election
Reference material by Wikipedia contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
none
August 2026August 2026
General elections were held in Nigeria in 1933. The Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) won three of the four elected seats in the Legislative Council.
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 1,118 people registered to vote in Lagos out of a population of 126,108, whilst just three 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
Four candidates contested the three Lagos seats, of which three were NNDP incumbents (Crispin Adeniyi-Jones, Eric Moore and T. A. Doherty). The other candidate, Olayinka Alakija, was a barrister. In Calabar C. W. Clinton was the only candidate, and was elected unopposed.Tamano, p126
Results
Nigerian National Democratic Party 2258 3 0 Calabar Ratepayers' Association 1 1 Independents 200 0 0 0 1121 Tamuno
By constituency
Lagos (three members) Eric Moore Nigerian National Democratic Party 797 Crispin Adeniyi-Jones Nigerian National Democratic Party 760 T. A. Doherty Nigerian National Democratic Party 701 Olayinka Alakija Independent 200 1118 Tamuno
List of members
Governor Donald Cameron appointed 14 unofficial members to the Legislative Council, of which seven were Europeans and seven Africans. 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 seven Africans represented African Traders, the Colony of Lagos, Oyo Province, Rivers district, the Egba and the Ibo, as well as one seat representing the cities of Benin and Warri.Wheare, p72
Unlike the previous elections in 1928 when there were only two new appointees, six of the Africans appointed to the council in 1933 were new (only I T Palmer was reappointed), whilst there were four new members amongst the commercial appointees.
ConstituencyMemberElected membersCalabarC. W. ClintonLagosCrispin Adeniyi-JonesT. A. DohertyEric MooreNominated African membersAfrican TradersB.O.E. AmobiBenin & WarriI.T. PalmerColonyHenry Rawlingson CarrEgbaAdeyemo AlakijaIboG.T. BasdenOyo ProvinceA.S. AgbajeRivers districtS.B. RhodesNominated commercial membersBankingL.M. Herepath (Barclays)MiningJ. WestShippingH.S. FeggetterCalabarH.B. WheelerKanoT. HepburnLagosR.F. IrvingPort HarcourtP.H. DaveySource: Wheare
Aftermath
During the term of the Legislative Council, several members were replaced; T H W Beard became the appointed Calabar member on 12 June 1934. In 1935 W T Ogden became the Shipping member on 2 March, A Egbe became the appointed member for Benin-Warri on 4 March and N D Oyerinde became the appointed member for Oyo Province on 20 May, whilst G T Basden left the council on 1 December and was not replaced. On 29 November 1937 R M Williams of the United Africa Company became the new appointed member for Lagos and D D Beard was appointed as the Banking member.Wheare, pp199–200
References
Category:Parliamentary elections in Nigeria
Nigeria
General election
Nigerian general election
Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results