Enahoro self-government motion

On March 31, 1953, Anthony Enahoro, a young legislator from Edo State representing the Action Group party, stood before Nigeria's House of Representatives in Lagos to propose a historic motion. He called for Nigeria to achieve complete self-government by 1956, marking the first time a specific timeline for independence had been formally presented in the colonial legislature. The motion sparked intense debate that would expose deep regional divisions and ultimately lead to a constitutional crisis.

Enahoro's motion emerged from growing nationalist sentiment across Nigeria following World War II, when educated Nigerians increasingly questioned continued British rule. The Action Group, led by Obafemi Awolowo and dominant in the Western Region, had been pushing for faster political progress than the more cautious Northern People's Congress. Regional tensions over the pace of decolonization had been building since the 1951 constitution granted limited self-governance, with southern politicians generally favoring immediate independence while northern leaders preferred gradual transition.