A major event in Nigerian history that led to the suspension of Nigeria's constitution and the declaration of…

Analyze the question: The question asks for the event in 1953 that led to a constitutional crisis and a state of emergency under colonial rule.

Explain the concept: In 1953, Anthony Enahoro (Action Group) moved a motion in the House of Representatives calling for Nigerian self-government in 1956. The Northern People's Congress (NPC) delegates opposed it and asked for "as soon as practicable". The motion was defeated. Action Group and NCNC members walked out, and the northern delegates were jeered in Lagos. When the Action Group and NCNC leaders then toured the North, this led to the Kano riots of May 1953, in which many lives were lost.

Step-by-step elimination:

• A. Aba women's riot: This happened in 1929 in Eastern Nigeria. It was a protest against taxation and warrant chiefs, so the date is wrong.
• B. Zikist movement: This radical youth group of the late 1940s was led by Nnamdi Azikiwe's followers. It was banned in 1948 after a state of emergency, so it is not tied to 1953.
• C. Kano riots: These took place in May 1953 as a result of the self-government motion crisis, and they led to a constitutional breakdown. This is the event the question describes.
• D. Action Group crisis: The AG crisis was in 1962, in the Western Region, which led to a state of emergency there. That is also the wrong date.

A note on accuracy: Strictly, the 1953 Kano riots were a result of the self-government motion crisis, and the 1951 Macpherson Constitution was later replaced by the Lyttelton Constitution of 1954. The state of emergency was in effect declared in a regional sense, and the "suspension of the constitution" in the question is a loose description. Even so, among the options, only the Kano riots fit 1953.

Answer: C. Kano riots

Exam tip: Match the date to the event. Remember 1929 = Aba women's riot, 1948 = Zikist movement, 1953 = Kano riots, 1962 = Action Group crisis.