Eyo Esua

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Eyo Eyo Esua
Chairman of the Federal Electoral Commission
In office
1964–1966
Succeeded byMichael Ani
Personal details
Born14 January 1901
Cross River State, Nigeria
Died6th December 1973

Eyo Ita Esua (14 January 1901 - 1973) was a Nigerian teacher and trade unionist who was at the helm of the Balewa government's Federal Electoral Commission in the Nigerian First Republic.[1]

Esua was a school master and a founder member of the Nigerian Union of Teachers. He was the first full-time general secretary of the union from 1943 until his retirement in 1964.[2] He was an Efik, Calabar man, renowned for his dedication to duty and uprightness.[3]

The Esua-led commission organized the December 1964 election, which was mired in controversy. Two members of the commission disagreed with the chairman and resigned from the commission. Esua also conducted the 1965 Western Region election, which was violent and was disputed by the opposition United Party Grand Alliance.[4] A few days before these elections Esua acknowledged that his organisation could not guarantee a free and fair poll.[5] The widespread electoral abuses may have been a factor in the success of the military coup of January 1966 in which Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi came to power.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ Imam Imam (9 June 2010). "Past INEC Chairmen". ThisDay. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
  2. ^ Thomas Lionel Hodgkin; Elizabeth Hodgkin; Michael Wolfers (2000). Thomas Hodgkin: letters from Africa 1947-56. HAAN. p. 32. ISBN 1-874209-93-6.
  3. ^ Remi Anifowose (1982). Violence and politics in Nigeria: the Tiv and Yoruba experience. Nok Publishers International. ISBN 0-88357-084-X.
  4. ^ Olukorede Yishau (2010-06-09). "Will he make the difference?". The Nation. Archived from the original on 2010-06-11. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
  5. ^ Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe (1990). The Biafra war: Nigeria and the aftermath. E. Mellen Press. p. 39. ISBN 0-88946-175-9.
  6. ^ "ELECTORAL COMMISSION THROUGH THE YEARS". NBF News. 7 Jun 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
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