Southern Cameroons 1961: The Vote That Shaped Two Nations
Southern Cameroons: From Administrative Territory to Political Choice
IN 1954, a quiet constitutional adjustment under the Lyttelton Constitution altered the political trajectory of the Southern Cameroons. Separated from Nigeria’s Eastern Region, the territory was recognized as a distinct administrative unit under British trusteeship, with its own House of Assembly inaugurated on 1 October 1954. This newfound autonomy marked the beginning of a journey toward self-government, political expression, and eventual historic choice.
By 1958, Southern Cameroons had achieved full ministerial status. Dr. E. M. L. Endeley became the territory’s first Premier, leading the government at its highest level of autonomy before a defining moment: a decision that would determine the future of the borderland for generations. Across Africa, colonial powers were withdrawing, and the United Nations trusteeship system left British Cameroons with a narrow set of options: integration with Nigeria or joining the neighboring French-speaking Cameroon.
The Battle of Visions: Nigeria or Cameroon?
Political debate in Southern Cameroons hardened along two competing visions. Dr. Endeley argued for reunion with Nigeria, highlighting the territory’s four-decade administrative linkage, shared political institutions, and the familiarity of governance structures. For Endeley, integration promised continuity, infrastructural development, and legal certainty.
Opposing him was John Ngu Foncha, who campaigned for union with the francophone République du Cameroun. Foncha emphasized cultural affinities, linguistic connections, and the potential for Southern Cameroons to operate as a federated state within a new national structure. These competing narratives encapsulated broader anxieties: stability versus change, familiarity versus new opportunity, and local autonomy versus national integration.
The United Nations facilitated the process. Northern Cameroons held a preliminary plebiscite in 1959 but deferred a final decision. Later that year, UN General Assembly Resolution 1352 (XIV) affirmed that the people of the Trust Territory would determine their own futures, with a final plebiscite scheduled for 11 February 1961.
Campaigns, Appeals, and the Power of Persuasion
IN the lead-up to the vote, political appeals intensified. Nigeria’s Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, addressed Southern Cameroons on 22 January 1961 through Radio Nigeria. Balewa framed reunion as a path to certainty: improved schools, hospitals, roads, and rule of law. He contrasted this with potential hardship under unfamiliar Cameroonian laws and administrative systems, emphasizing continuity and stability.
The Ballot and the Border Redrawn
When the ballots were counted on 11 February 1961, the results reflected deep internal divisions. Northern Cameroons voted overwhelmingly—around 60 percent—in favor of joining Nigeria. Southern Cameroons, conversely, chose Cameroon, with approximately 70 percent supporting union.
The legal and administrative implementation followed swiftly. On 1 June 1961, Northern Cameroons was incorporated as Sardauna Province within Nigeria’s Northern Region. Southern Cameroons formally became the federated State of West Cameroon on 1 October 1961.
A Decision That Echoes Through History
The 1961 plebiscite not only redrew colonial borders but also reshaped identities and loyalties. It remains a defining moment in West and Central African history—a rare instance where a people, faced with stark choices, determined divergent national futures through the ballot. Northern Cameroons became part of Nigeria; Southern Cameroons integrated into Cameroon, each path shaped by political visions, historical connections, and the promises of development.
The decisions of that era continue to influence contemporary discourse on identity, federalism, and regional autonomy, demonstrating how historical ballots can leave an indelible mark on nations.
