New Cameroon Views Blog: The March 1957 parliamentary elections in the British Southern Cameroons

Sunday, May 24, 2026

The March 1957 parliamentary elections in the British Southern Cameroons

In the March 1957 parliamentary elections in the British Southern Cameroons, the territory was an autonomous region within the Federation of Nigeria. The Kamerun National Congress (KNC) led by Dr. E.M.L. Endeley won the plurality of seats, taking 6 of the 13 elected seats in the House of Assembly.

The breakdown of the March 1957 Southern Cameroons House of Assembly election is detailed below:

1957 Southern Cameroons Election Results

The 1957 election was the last held before the 1958 Lancaster House Constitutional Conference. During this election, 13 seats were contested, with Dr. Endeley's party favoring integration with Nigeria.

Kamerun National Congress (KNC):
- Seats Won: 6 seats
- Vote Share/Details: Won a plurality of the assembly seats, campaigning for continued integration with Nigeria.
Kamerun National Democratic Party (KNDP):
- Seats Won: 5 seats (4 of the elected seats were won as Independents / Native Authority Representatives)
- Vote Share/Details: Campaigned on a platform of secession from Nigeria and eventual reunification with French Cameroon.
Kamerun People's Party (KPP):
- Seats Won: 2 seats
- Vote Share/Details: Supported integration with Nigeria.
Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC):
- Seats Won: 0 seats
- Vote Share/Details: Advocated for immediate reunification but won zero seats and was shortly outlawed by British authorities.

Significance of the 1957/1958 Period

Following these 1957 results and the subsequent 1958 constitutional agreements, the Southern Cameroons was granted an autonomous regional status. Dr. Endeley became the first Premier, despite the strong showing by John Ngu Foncha's KNDP.

This tension led directly to the next general elections held in January 1959, where the 13-seat assembly was expanded to 26 seats. In the 1959 election, the reunificationist KNDP won a narrow victory (14 of 26 seats), shifting the political control of the British Southern Cameroons and setting the stage for the United Nations plebiscites of 1961.