ABSTRACT
The immediate origin of the ruling National Party of Nigeria lay in the National Movement in the Constituent Assembly. It was made up of old politicians linked to the Northern People’s Congress, new politicians, and businesspeople. Power within the party lay in the north, and southern elements were co-opted via negotiation into the party. Zoning had its counterpart in the constitutional principle of federal character, which was an important addition to the political vocabulary. It is hazardous to generalise about a group with such diverse origins, sources of capital, and identities. These people tended to be involved in commerce, finance, real estate, and construction rather than in production, though a shift to industry had become apparent by the end of the 1970s. The main axis of conflict during the Second Republic was between the federal government and the twelve opposition states. Meetings of the twelve opposition governors provided the major forum for the opposition.
