To dispel the myth that there was no sort of political system in present-day Nigeria before the colonial era, this article seeks to explain how pre-colonial societies were administered. We must remind you that at that time, the entity Nigeria did not exist and the various pre-colonial societies were independent of each other. Read on to learn about the pre-colonial political systems that existed in Nigeria.
The pre-colonial political system in Nigeria would be discussed below:
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Pre-Colonial Political System in the Hausa-Fulani Societies
The earliest political system of the pre-colonial period in the Hausa societies was the Habe Saruta system. At this time, Habe kings ruled over these societies, however, the villages were independent of each other. Every village was headed by the oldest males of the most influential families while elders of less powerful families assisted. The only times the Habe kings interfered with the affairs of the villages was when tax and tributes for maintenance and defence were required. But this political system came to an end when the Jihad happened, leading to the introduction of fiefs.
In the fiefdom political system, the villages were ruled by fief-holders answerable to the paramount rulers or emirs. The capital city of the emirate was the seat of the government of the pre-colonial Hausa-Fulani political system.
Here’s a breakdown of the Hausa-Fulani political system in the pre-colonial era:
- The compound is the basic unit of organisation
- The ward comprising of groups of compounds
- The village which consisted of a collection of wards
- A group of villages was regarded as a fief
- The emirate was a totality of the fiefs within a definable area
- The capital city was the seat of the government
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The Political System in the Yoruba Societies in the Pre-colonial Era
In the pre-colonial era, Yoruba societies already enjoyed a well-organized political system. The Oyo Empire is a great example of how well-organized the political system of pre-colonial Yoruba societies was. The Alaafin (king) oversaw the affairs of these Yoruba societies through various levels of well-structured governance akin to modern-day constitutional government.
The Oyo Empire would be used to illustrate what the political system of pre-colonial Yoruba society was like. The Alaafin of Oyo was the head of government of the entire empire. The king could theoretically put almost anything into practice, but with assistance from his senior chiefs in areas like the collection of tributes and settlement of disputes as well as the daily running of the empire.
The Oyo empire even had checks on the powers of the Alaafin such that if the king lost the confidence of his subjects, he was impeached. The Oyomesi Council, a seven-member council, was the second-highest political post in the pre-colonial Yoruba societies after the Alaafin. The Oyomesi Council served as the legislative arm of the government as well as a check on the ruling of the Alaafin of the Oyo empire.
The Ogboni Cult of the Earth, the third-highest-ranking political group in the Oyo empire, was put in place to check on the duties of the Oyomesi, particularly in the rejection or impeachment of an Alaafin. The overall duties of the Ogboni Cult in the pre-colonial Oyo empire were like that of a present-day judiciary.
The Oyo empire also had an army on standby, headed by Are-Ona-Kakanfo. The army was put in place to ward off external aggression as well internal uprisings within the empire.
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Pre-Colonial Political System in the Igbo Societies
The Igbo societies in the pre-colonial era practised a segmented and diffused political system. No one person had so much political power but the power was rather on councils and village assemblies, kinship groups, age sets, and societies.
Kinship groups in pre-colonial Igbo societies, which were presided by the eldest males, bore the responsibility of deliberation, decision-making, implementation and administration. The general political system in the pre-colonial Igbo societies was based on the village assembly or councils which served as the highest authority organ of the legislature. Moreso, decisions made at the village assembly were supreme and binding.
The age grades were also involved during the implementation of the village council’s decision. There was no form of direct taxation in pre-colonial Igbo societies. The elders’ council bore the responsibility of settling disputes since no sort of king or central figure existed. Age and achievements were what made someone suitable to be among the elders’ council or become a village head.
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Pre-Colonial Political System in the Benin Kingdom
South East as the crow flies from the Yoruba Kingdom was the pre-colonial Benin empire. On the eastern border of the Benin empire, were located the Igbos. Itsekiri and Ijaw in the southwestern part of the empire.
The type of political system the Benin empire practised was a monarchical system of government headed by the Oba (King). The Oba was perceived as semi-divine by his subjects, giving him great political authority. The king of the Benin empire could reward or decorate with honour any deserving sons and daughters of the land.
The king, however, had chiefs of various categories that assisted him in the running of the kingdom. The chiefs were of different categories and each category had specific instructions from the king on their duties in the kingdom.
The Uzama council of chiefs were one important category of chiefs in the pre-colonial Benin empire. This council of chiefs advised the Oba on pertinent matters. Although the Uzama Council was responsible for crowning the new king, it didn’t have the power to reject a sitting Oba of Benin.
The Enigies, also known as brothers or sons of the Oba, were put to be in control of certain strategic villages.
Another important aspect of the Benin empire government was the Ologbosere-led army. The army was a large one.
From what we’ve covered on the political system in pre-colonial societies in present-day Nigeria, you can see that each government and administration were fashioned to suit the interest and aspirations of the societies in which they operated.