In 1922, the British government enacted the Nigeria (Legislative Council) Order in Council, widely known as the Clifford Constitution after Governor Sir Hugh Clifford. The reform introduced a new feature into Nigeria’s political life, election by ballot into a colonial legislative body.
The change came at a time when educated elites in Lagos and other southern towns were pressing for greater participation in governance. Newspapers were increasingly vocal, civic associations were active, and political advocacy had become more organised. The British administration responded with a constitutional adjustment that allowed limited electoral representation while maintaining firm executive control.
What the Clifford Constitution established
The Clifford Constitution reconstituted the Legislative Council and introduced elected unofficial members for the first time. Under its provisions, three members were to be elected from the municipal area of Lagos, and one member was to be elected from the municipal area of Calabar.
These four seats represented the entirety of elected representation in Nigeria at the time. No other towns or provinces were granted elective positions. The reform did not create nationwide elections or a representative parliament for the whole country.
The Legislative Council’s legislative authority applied to the Colony of Lagos and the Southern Provinces. Northern Nigeria remained outside its jurisdiction. Laws for the Northern Provinces continued to be made by the Governor through proclamations and regulations, operating separately from the Legislative Council system.
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Franchise requirements and the structure of participation
Voting rights under the Clifford Constitution were carefully defined. To qualify as an elector, a person had to be at least 21 years old, must have resided in the relevant municipal area for the preceding twelve months, and must have earned a gross annual income of not less than one hundred pounds in the year immediately before registration. Certain disqualifications also applied, including restrictions tied to criminal convictions and legal incapacity.
The income threshold significantly limited the size of the electorate. Only a small segment of urban residents, largely professionals, merchants, and senior clerks, met the qualification. Most workers, artisans, and members of the broader population were excluded. Political participation under the constitution therefore reflected a restricted and elite urban base.
Structure of authority under the constitution
While elected members entered the Legislative Council, official members continued to hold a majority. The Governor retained extensive powers, including the authority to assent to or withhold assent from legislation.
The Executive Council remained composed almost entirely of senior British colonial officials such as the Chief Secretary, Attorney General, Treasurer, and heads of departments. Elected Nigerian representatives did not sit within this executive body. Administrative and executive authority therefore remained concentrated within the colonial administration.
The first elections of 1923
The first elections under the Clifford Constitution were conducted in September 1923. Lagos, with three seats, became the central arena of political competition. Calabar’s single seat also drew attention within its municipal electorate.
Campaigning introduced new patterns of political engagement. Candidates addressed voters directly, newspapers reported on electoral contests, and civic networks mobilised support. Public political debate became more structured around electoral competition.
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The rise of the Nigerian National Democratic Party
In June 1923, Herbert Macaulay founded the Nigerian National Democratic Party, NNDP, widely recognised as Nigeria’s first political party. The party was formed to contest the newly created elective seats in Lagos and to provide organised political representation.
The NNDP’s participation in the 1923 elections marked the beginning of structured party politics in Nigeria. Its emergence demonstrated how the introduction of elections, even within a restricted framework, reshaped political organisation and public engagement.
Northern Nigeria and constitutional separation
The Clifford Constitution maintained a clear administrative separation between the Southern Provinces and Northern Nigeria. The North was governed under the system of indirect rule, with traditional authorities operating under the supervision of British Residents.
Because the Legislative Council had no jurisdiction in the Northern Provinces, the elective principle did not extend there. This structural division shaped early political development in different parts of the country and influenced later constitutional reforms.
Lasting significance
The Clifford Constitution introduced electoral politics into Nigeria’s constitutional framework for the first time. Though limited in scope and confined to specific urban municipalities, it established procedures for voting, campaigning, and legislative participation that would influence subsequent constitutional developments.
Later reforms, including the Richards Constitution of 1946 and the Macpherson Constitution of 1951, expanded legislative structures and representation. The 1922 constitution remains significant as the formal beginning of elective representation in colonial Nigeria.
Author’s Note
The Clifford Constitution marked Nigeria’s first experience with elections, limited to Lagos and Calabar and confined to a narrow electorate. It introduced party politics, legislative debate, and public campaigning, while executive authority remained firmly in colonial hands and Northern Nigeria stood outside the Legislative Council. From that restricted beginning, Nigeria’s electoral history took root.
References
Nigeria (Legislative Council) Order in Council, 1922, commonly known as the Clifford Constitution, official British government text.
Tekena N. Tamuno, Nigeria and Elective Representation, 1923–1947, Heinemann, 1966.
Nigeria, Colonial Report for 1923, British Colonial Office annual report series.
National Open University of Nigeria, PAD 841, Nigerian Government and Politics, sections on the Clifford Constitution and early party politics.
