Why did the NCNC and Northern People’s Congress form a coalition after the 1959 election?

The National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) and the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) formed a coalition following the 1959 federal elections because neither party secured a majority of the seats required to govern independently.12

By joining forces, the two parties were able to establish a functioning government ahead of Nigeria's independence in 1960. Under the terms of this coalition, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa of the NPC continued his role as prime minister, a position he had held since 1957, while Nnamdi Azikiwe, the leader of the NCNC, assumed the largely ceremonial roles of president of the Senate and, later, governor-general and president.132