The National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was the dominant political party in Nigeria during the Second Republic

Nigerian Second Republic

The Second Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1979 and 1983 governed by the second republican constitution.- Founding :...

 (1979-1983).

Formation

The party's beginning could be traced to private and sometimes secret meetings among key Northern Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

n leaders after the proscription of political parties in 1966 by the military regimes of Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi

Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi

Major General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi was a Nigerian soldier. He served as the Head of State of Nigeria from January 16, 1966 until he was overthrown and killed on July 29, 1966 by a group of northern army officers who revolted against the government.- Early life :Thomas Umunnakwe...

 and General Yakubu Gowon

Yakubu Gowon

General Yakubu "Jack" Dan-Yumma Gowon was the head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. He took power after one military coup d'etat and was overthrown in another...

. A few members of the proscribed parties based in the Northern section of Nigeria began to organize to form a northern party to prepare for a return to democracy

Democracy

Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

, the group also approached southern Nigerians about the prospect of a truly national party. A constitution

Constitution

A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...

al assembly organized in 1977 to prepare a constitution for a new democratic government, proved to the best avenue for members of the burgeoning group to meet and discuss plans for their regions and nation. On September 20, 1978, the National Party of Nigeria was formed, comprising members of the constituent assembly and headed by Makaman Bida, an old NPC member. A month later the party adopted zoning

Zoning

Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...

 to elect party officials. The party then adopted a new chairman, Augustus Akinloye

Augustus Akinloye

Augustus Meredith Adisa Akinloye , popularly known as A.M.A, was a Nigerian lawyer, politician and the Seriki of Ibadanland, thus making him a Yoruba tribal aristocrat.- Legal career:...

, a Yoruba

Yoruba people

The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...

 man, paving the way for the presidential candidate to go to the core base of the party: the Hausa-Fulani

Hausa-Fulani

Hausa-Fulani is a term used to refer collectively to the Hausa and Fulani people of West Africa. The two are grouped together because since the Fulani War their histories have been largely intertwined...

 states.

Elections
The NPN presented candidates for two major elections, the 1979 elections and the 1983 elections. The party won 36 Senate seats out of 95 Senate

Senate of Nigeria

The Senate is the upper house of the National Assembly of Nigeria. It consists of 109 senators: the 36 states are divided in 3 senatorial districts each electing one senator; the Federal Capital Territory elects only one senator....

 seats and 168 seats out of 449 seats of the House of Representatives. On August 16, 1979, the party's candidate for presidential election was declared the winner of what became a disputed election. The party entered into a shaky alliance with the Nigerian Peoples Party to earn majority votes in the National Assembly, the alliance later hit the rocks in 1981. To gain support among Igbo

Igbo people

Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...

people, the party allowed the return of Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Biafra leader.