GCEGovernmentColonial Administration2021

The warrant chief system introduced by the British in Eastern Nigeria failed primarily because

Athe warrant chiefs demanded excessive taxes from the people
Bit was opposed by the colonial government in Lagos
Cit contradicted the existing tradition of gerontocracy and acephalous societiesCORRECT
Dthe warrant chiefs refused to cooperate with British district officers
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Why the answer is C, and why the others tempt you.
The warrant chief system failed in Eastern Nigeria because most Igbo and related societies were acephalous (stateless), governed by councils of elders, age grades, and title societies rather than paramount chiefs. The British imposition of warrant chiefs on communities that had no tradition of centralized chieftaincy created illegitimate rulers who lacked popular authority. This tension was a major underlying cause of the 1929 Women's Riots (Aba Women's Riots).
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