1962, When Nigeria’s Prime Minister Removed a Regional Government

On May 29, 1962, Nigeria’s First Republic Prime Minister, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, took the extraordinary step of removing the Premier of the Western Region, Chief S.L. Akintola, along with all members of the Western Regional Assembly. This drastic action followed an intense political crisis within the Action Group, marked by a fierce power struggle between Akintola and party leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

To restore order, the Prime Minister declared a state of emergency in the region and appointed his personal physician and then-Minister of Health, Dr. Moses Majekodunmi, as Sole Administrator of the Western Region.

Years later, under Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, President Olusegun Obasanjo also took similar decisive actions when he suspended the governors of Ekiti State in 2004 and Plateau State in 2006, following serious political and security crises.

While the Nigerian Constitution does not permit a president to remove a sitting governor outright, it does allow for suspension under special conditions, especially in the interest of national security and constitutional order.