1947 Nigerian general election


General elections were held in Nigeria in 1947. The Nigerian National Democratic Party won three of the four elected seats in the Legislative Council.

Electoral system

The elections were the first and only elections to be held under the 1946 constitution introduced by Governor Arthur Richards. There were few changes to the electoral system created by the 1922 constitution; the number of elected members remained at four, and the only significant reform was the reduction in the annual income qualification for voters from £100 to £50.
The number of official members was reduced from 27 to 16, and included the Governoer, 13 ex officio members and three nominated officials, six members from the Western Province, five members from the Eastern Provinces, one member from the Colony of Lagos and three members to represent otherwise unrepresented interests.

Campaign

Seven candidates contested the elections, five for the three Lagos seats and two for the Calabar seat. In Lagos the NNDP nominated the journalist Nnamdi Azikiwe, barrister Adeleke Adedoyin and sitting Council member Abubakar Olorun-Nimbe, whilst F. O. Coker and Ernest Ikoli ran as independents. However, Ikoli withdrew his candidacy prior to election day.
In Calabar the seat was contested by the incumbent Okon Efiong and E. E. E. Anwan, both of whom ran as independents.

Results

By constituency