Today in History Today in History- The First Legislative Assembly Elections was...

Today in History- The First Legislative Assembly Elections was held

-

- Advertisement -
Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Telegram

Today in history, exactly 69 years ago, The First Legislative Assembly Elections were held in the Gold Coast (Now Ghana) on February 8, 1951

Elections for the Legislative Assembly were held for the first time in the Gold Coast on 8 February 1951.

Although elections had been held for the Legislative Council since 1925, the Council did not

have complete control over the legislation, and the voting franchise was limited to councils of chiefs.

This was the first election to be held in Africa under universal suffrage.

Amongst growing calls for self-governance, such as the 1948 Accra Riots and unrest (which

led to the arrest of the Big Six), the Coussey Committee was commissioned by the United Kingdom government.

Its report led to the 1951 constitution, which gave the Executive Council an African majority, and created an 84-member Legislative Assembly, 38 of which were to be elected by the people, 37 representing territorial councils, six appointed to represent commercial interests and three ex officio members appointed by the Governor.

Those representing commercial interests and appointed by the Governor were all white.

Nkrumah’s aide and later Finance Minister Komla Agbeli Gbedemah is credited with organizing the entire campaign while he (Kwame Nkrumah) was still in Fort James prison, detained by the colonial government.

Nkrumah duly won the Accra Central Municipal seat.

RESULTS OF ELECTIONS

Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party won 34 of the 38 elected seats in the assembly, claiming all five seats and nearly 95% of the vote in urban areas; Nkrumah himself winning the Accra Central seat with 22,780 of the 23,122 votes cast.

In rural areas the CPP won 29 of the 33 seats, taking around 72% of the vote.

The main opposition, the United Gold Coast Convention, fared badly, winning only two seats, and was disbanded following the elections.

Former members of the UGCC went on to form the Ghana Congress Party (which later became the United Party). The elections were also contested by the National Democratic Party.

The CPP was also supported in the Assembly by 22 of the indirectly elected members, and thus held 56 of the 84 seats.

AFTERMATH

After winning the Accra Central seat, Kwame Nkrumah was released from prison, and was

appointed “Leader of Government Business”, before becoming the country’s first Prime Minister the following year after a constitutional amendment.

Another new constitution was promulgated in 1954, followed by elections the same year, also won by the CPP.

Following another convincing election victory by Nkrumah’s party in 1956, Gold Coast became the first sub-Saharan African state to gain independence (aside from apartheid South Africa) on 6 March 1957, changing its name to Ghana.

 

Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Telegram

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest news

Nii Kwabena Bonne II- Today in History led a boycott of all European goods

Today in History, Nii Kwabena Bonne II organized a boycott of all European goods in response to their high...

Rosemond Nkansah – first female Ghanaian police

Rosemond Nkansah, the first Ghanaian woman to be enlisted into the Ghana Police Service, then the Gold Coast Police...

Melody Millicent Danquah, first female Ghanaian pilot

Melody Millicent Danquah, She was Ghana's First Female Pilot and Squadron Leader. She was the first to...

Nana Yaa Asantewaa dies in Seychelles (Today in History)

Today in History, On October 17, 1921, Nana Yaa Asantewaa, Queen mother of Ejisu and a great warrior of...

Brigadier Joseph Edward Michel, the Ghanaian named after a Military Base

Brigadier Joseph Edward Michel, he was a Ghanaian soldier. The Michel Camp of the Ghana Armed Forces located at Tema is named after him in...

General Joseph Arthur Ankrah ‘s Letter to the American President.

A Letter from the Military Ruler, Lt. General Joseph Arthur Ankrah to the American President, Lyndon Baines Johnson on March...

Must read

Ghana National Grand Mosque, second Largest in West Africa.

Ghana National Grand Mosque, it is the second largest...

Ghana confirms new cases of Coronavirus

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has confirmed five (5)...
- Advertisement -

You might also likeRELATED

Recommended to you

Translate »