The Niger Delta Congress was one of the small political parties

Political Parties

Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...

 in 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...

's First Republic

Nigerian First Republic

The First Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1963 and 1966 governed by the first republican constitution.-Founding :...

. The party generated most of its support from minorities in the Eastern Region

Eastern Region, Nigeria

The Eastern Region was one of Nigeria's federal divisions, dating back originally from the division of the colony Southern Nigeria in 1954. Its capital was Enugu. The region was official divided in 1967 into three new states, East-Central State, Rivers State and South-Eastern State...

 of Nigeria. The party was formed by Harold Biriye and some southern minority leaders, principally from Degema, Ogoni, Brass

Brass

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...

 and Western Ijaw divisions. The party entered into an alliance with the Northern People's Congress

Northern People's Congress

Northern People's Congress is a political party in Nigeria. Formed in June 1949, the party held considerable influence in the Northern Region from the 1950s until the military coup of 1966....

, at the time, the alliance was seen by some as one of strange bedfellows. However, NPC, which had federal ministers in Lagos

Lagos

Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...

, may have been courting southern groups to present a national outlook and to have alliances with groups close to trading posts and Biriye was looking for a powerful ally to guarantee seats for his new party in the Eastern region and on the boards of the Special Area commission.

In its manifesto

Manifesto

A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...

, the party promised the initiation of a Federal Territory

Federal Territory

The Federal Territories in Malaysia comprise three territories: Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan, governed directly by the federal government of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is the national capital of Malaysia, Putrajaya is the administrative capital, and Labuan is an offshore international financial...

 status for the Degema, Ogoni, Brass, and Western Ijaw divisions, promoting the culture of the people of the Niger Delta

Niger Delta

The Niger Delta, the delta of the Niger River in Nigeria, is a densely populated region sometimes called the Oil Rivers because it was once a major producer of palm oil...

, quality education and financial assistance to the fishermen from the delta, protection of timber

Timber

Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...

resources, the improvement of communications and the scheduling of certain towns as recognized ports.