Nigeria became independent on Oct. 1, 1960 under a constitution that provided for a parliamentary system of government, with the then three regions of North, South and East, exercising self governance.
Barely a year later -- October 1963 precisely -- it became a republic and the late Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe thus became the country's first President.

From independence, the country had carried along its ethnic and religious diversities, which many perceptive analysts believed, ought to have been harnessed in the country's quest for greatness.
However, the diversities, rather than engender development, had fostered political tension, which culminated in various political upheavals that led to the collapse of the First Republic.

The wide gap in the economic and educational development of the southern and the northern parts of the country did not help matters, while the respective regions evolved their own ideological thrusts.
The Action Group (AG) controlled the Western Region, the Northern People's Congress (NPC) the Northern Region and the NCNC the Eastern Region.

On Jan. 15, 1966, however, the young republic was truncated by a coup d'état by a group of young army officers led by late Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu, who hailed from the southern part of the country.
Efforts by late Maj.-Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, who eventually took over power as head of state, to douse the political tension that trailed the coup proved abortive. Ethnic differences inevitably assumed a frightening dimension.
A counter coup, now led by mostly officers of northern origin seized power soon after, where Aguiyi-Ironsi and other top military officers were killed. The military government that thus emerged was headed by then Lt.-Col. Yakubu Gowon, who ruled the nation for nine years..

A series of events unfolded thereafter, which somehow deepened the divisions in the country.
A pogrom in the north, which left citizens of Igbo extraction as main victims, among other grievances, prompted Lt.-Col. Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the then military governor of the Eastern Region, to break away from Nigeria and declare the Republic of Biafra on May 29, 1966.
As the nation's political crises deepened, a civil war broke out between the Federal Republic and the secessionist enclave of Biafra. It lasted for three years.

After thirteen years of military rule, the country started another journey into democratic governance in 1979, where five political parties namely, National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP), Great Nigeria Peoples People (GNPP), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) emerged to contest the general elections.
Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the presidential candidate of the NPN emerged as the nation's first Executive President, having won the presidential election. Shagari was overthrown by the military again on Dec. 31, 1983.
Between 1983 and 1999, the military effectively held sway in power despite a failed effort by the Gen Ibrahim Babangida's administration to midwife another democratic dispensation in 1993.

Gen. Babangida had cancelled the results of the 1993 presidential election, which was widely believed to be the fairest and freest election in the nation's political history. The election was presumed to have been won by late Chief Moshood Abiola, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
In 1999, however, a successful political transition programme saw Chief Olusegun Obasanjo emerge as the nation's new President, thus ending the long years of military interventions in the nation's politics.
Political analysts say that the restoration of democracy had not been without some challenges, many of which are social, economic and political.

They add that there had been conflicts between the various arms of government, violent ethnic and religious clashes, natural disasters as well as economic difficulties.
These, they recall, had shaken the nation to its foundations at various times, though they did not remove the resolve of the citizens to strive on as a united people.
Opinions are diverse and varied about the progress made by the nation in the last 51 years, against the backdrop the challenges faced.
Rep. Albert Sam-Tsokwa (PDP-Taraba), Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Business, said that security posed a major challenge to the government of the day, against the backdrop of recent bomb blasts and other forms of violence across the country.

He tasked the security agencies to be more proactive in their operations, so as to stem the tide of violence in the country. He insisted that the general state of insecurity had not helped efforts at economically transforming the nation, saying that investors had become very wary of the country.
The representative lamented that much gains had not been achieved in the nation's power sector as electricity supply had continued to dwindle despite the huge investment by successive governments in the sector.

“Government has put in so much money into the power sector without corresponding results.''
He, nonetheless, said that great gains had been made in the entrenchment of democracy in the country, especially with regards to the electoral and constitutional reforms passed by the National Assembly (NASS).
Rep. Gerald Irona (PDP-Imo) on his part acknowledged the challenges faced by the nation in the last 51 years but insisted that successes had been achieved in many spheres, which called for a national celebration.

He blamed most of the challenges faced by the nation on the incursion of the military into the nation's political life.
According to him, “the military incursion into Nigeria's politics robbed the citizens of the many dividends of democracy”.
He said that Nigerians would continue to hold their leaders in contempt unless there was a shift from the present style of governance where past leaders were never realistically prosecuted for corruption.
“Until the issue of corruption in high places is tackled, Nigerians will never have faith in the leadership.”
Irona noted that the present security challenges, youth unemployment and corruption were the greatest problems faced by the country.

Rep. Emmanuel Orker-Jev (ACN-Benue) said that government must, in due course, improve on the nations' basic infrastructure, which had virtually collapsed.
“Twelve years of unbroken democracy in the country is worth celebrating if nothing else. If military had allowed democracy to thrive, we would have made mistakes but we would have also corrected them along the way.”
He called for the review of the 1999 constitution as amended, to address the issue of fiscal federalism that was vital to the unity of the country.

Said Rep. El-Sudi Tukur, (PDP Taraba): “At 51, Nigeria has made a lot of strides as far as development is concerned. We are equally at the brink of collapse because our public institutions have seriously deteriorated. They have collapsed; nothing works because of our attitudes.''
“We must have attitudinal change, so as to move this country forward and join the comity of nations that has developed,” he said.

He enjoined all Nigerians to work together in order to liberate the country from the shackles of underdevelopment.
He bemoaned that many other nations which got independence before Nigeria, as well as those which Nigeria assisted to gain independence, had virtually surpassed Nigeria in terms of development.
Rep Abiodun Balogun (ACN Ogun) asked government at all levels to be more circumspect on the management of nature's endowment on Nigeria, so that revenues derived from the natural resources exploitation would be used purposefully channeled to enhance the welfare of the people.
“God has been fair to Nigeria; we have very fertile land. What we have done with that is another ball game entirely.
“We don't have too much of natural calamities, we don't have hurricane; God has been good to us as a nation.'' Balogun added.

He, however, said that the country needed to improve on the power, health and education sectors, as well as infrastructure such as roads and public utilities.
In his perception, corruption must be fought with a stoic resolve.
Sen. Victor Lar (PDP-Plateau) applauded the performance of NASS in the new democratic experience, saying that it had helped to uphold the rule of law and the general development of the country.
“The emergence of the NASS has introduced what I call 'constituency development', which is founded on a 'party-blind approach' to national development.
“It is founded on equity, irrespective of your party affiliation so long as it's a bona fide part of Nigeria.
“Again, the rule of law and the observation of individual liberties and freedom have been the hallmark of the democratic dispensation.

“More than ever before, chief executives are increasingly not at liberty to spend money without accounting to the elected representatives of the people.
“Right now, various international parliamentary organisations have admitted Nigeria and we have taken our rightful place in the international system.
He stressed that the best military regime was not as good as the worst democratic government, adding that “democracy is a better and more acceptable form of government”.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Publicity, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, on his part said the National Assembly had remained a stabilising force in the nation's democracy
“The Legislature has been seen as the stabilizing force in Nigeria. It has contributed immensely to the stability of Nigeria though there is still room for improvement. ”
Sen. Babafemi Ojudu decried the failure of the nation,in the last five decades, to properly harness several opportunities to become truly great.

“In my opinion, there is nothing to celebrate. Every day when I move around this country, I am sad that we have a lot of opportunities and yet we do not utilise them.
“I just went to Ajaokuta a few days ago. I saw what was on ground there, which, ordinarily should take us to another level in technological development but are not utilized.”

He lamented wastages in the system, particularly when huge sums of money are invested in projects which never see the light of day, adding that it was imperative for the nation to begin to put the right persons in the right places.
Ojudu emphasised the need to reward excellence in whatever way it manifested, while the indolent and the corrupt must be sanctioned.
All said and done, there was consensus of opinion among the lawmakers that the occasion of the nation's 51st independence anniversary would afford the citizens and government the opportunity to reappraise the nation's circumstance with a view to moving it ahead.