In 1951, Endeley entered politics as a member of the Eastern Nigerian House of Assembly in Enugu. A year later, he was appointed to the Council of Ministers, first as a minister without portfolio, then as Minister of Labour (1953–1954).
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Endeley studied at Government College, Umuahia, Nigeria. Though he first intended to pursue agriculture at Yaba Higher College, he switched paths and earned a scholarship in 1935 to study medicine at the Nigerian School of Medicine in Yaba.
Political Rise
In 1951, Endeley entered politics as a member of the Eastern Nigerian House of Assembly in Enugu. A year later, he was appointed to the Council of Ministers, first as a minister without portfolio, then as Minister of Labour (1953–1954).
Endeley strongly campaigned for Southern Cameroons to enjoy a distinct regional status separate from Nigeria. His efforts paid off when the Southern Cameroons Regional Assembly was created in 1954, marking the birth of a new autonomous region.
Champion of Autonomy
Together with John Ngu Foncha and Solomon Tandeng Muna, Endeley broke from the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) to form the Kamerun National Congress (KNC) in 1953. The KNC’s vision was clear: autonomy for Southern Cameroons.
By 1954, British Cameroons had federal status, with its own House of Assembly and executive council.
Prime Minister of Southern Cameroons
In 1957, Endeley narrowly won the elections to become the first Prime Minister of Southern Cameroons, officially assuming office in 1958. Over time, however, his politics shifted as he began to favour closer ties with Nigeria rather than reunification with French Cameroun.
The 1961 Plebiscite
As momentum for reunification with French Cameroun grew, Endeley stood firmly against it. Ahead of the United Nations–organised plebiscite on February 11, 1961, he published a pamphlet urging Southern Cameroonians to reject union with French Cameroun and instead maintain ties with Nigeria.
Despite his campaign, the people voted for reunification — a turning point that would shape the territory’s future.
Legacy and Spirit
Today, Emmanuel Endeley is remembered as a champion of the Ambazonian spirit. He accepted the results of elections without resorting to violence, embodying the principle of peaceful democratic transition. Endeley is honoured as the pillar of Ambazonia’s democratic spirit and a forefather of the nation’s quest for self-determination and nationhood.
Emmanuel Mbela Lifafa Endeley remains a towering figure in Southern Cameroons history: a physician, statesman, and the very first Prime Minister who fought to define his people’s political destiny — and left behind a legacy of integrity, democracy, and nationhood.
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