At the root of this Togoland "secession" issue is one basic fact -

Although many African polities wanted to be free from European colonisation...

some of them also did not want to be combined with other polities into new so-called independent countries.

Take the Ewe-speaking people of Togo and Ghana for example

In 1919 they find out that borders had been drawn by some white men somewhere and now some of them are French colonial subjects, and others are British subjects.

Meanwhile they wanted to be united into one state.

But the rules of engagement have been set by the white people.

You can no longer send gifts to neighbouring kingdoms to form alliances.

Now you have to get permission from the British and the French, and some United Nations people to make decisions about your own future

(you here being leaders of the Ewe-speaking people)
We never really get to hear from common floor members in the historical record, so we go by the recorded words of the leaders, the elites and the lucky few whose thoughts and ideas got recorded and preserved.

So these Ewe states realise they have to play by these new white man rules. So they form associations and political parties to work towards their goals.

Remember: The majority of them want independence from the colonisers. But not all want to be part of one "nation".

At this point we need a map.
The black outline is present-day Ghana and Togo.
The background is 1900s British-controlled Gold Coast, Northern Territories and German-controlled Togoland.

In the 1950s. at long last there has been a successful independence push in the Gold Coast. Led by some stubborn Nkrumah guy. The Brits are going.

The Ewe people in British Togoland want some of this independence for them and their French-colonised bros on the other side

But the colonisers and their rules strike again. Like 'You can only be independent if you're a nation'... So they give the Ewe people 2 options:

Either join Gold Coast and be part of an independent union, or stay colonial subjects in British Togoland.

Not an easy choice.

Now to that 50 years "rumour".

I haven't seen anything yet in "official" archives that refer to it, but enough people believe it so strongly that imo, it doesn't matter.

(Also archives are created by people and people always have biases, and even agendas, but I digress.)

The story is that the Ewe leaders agreed with the colonial government, and Nkrumah's new government that after fifty years, the union of the Gold Coast and British Togoland would be reviewed.

And that this was their condition for agreeing to participate in the process.

We will never know the "truth", because we were not there, but what we know is that...

on 9th May, 1956 the plebiscite was held, and the Ewe people of British Togoland voted.

58% across the whole territory voted to join Gold Coast/Ghana. But it was not a simple "yes"!

In the southern part 55% voted not to join Gold Coast. (Pre-colonial beefs etc etc)

And even among many of the 'YES' voters, a number of them wanted to have a different kind of government (similar to a federal one where they retained some autonomy) This did not happen.

When we imagine about 6th March 1957, we imagine celebrations across the whole country. People dancing for joy and relishing freedom at last.

But these were not the only stories. Some were scared and uncertain. Some were downright angry and frustrated. Some tried to fight.

In parts of the Volta and Ashanti Regions for example, people tell stories of curfews and military presence that year. Of gunshots, arrests, and skirmishes.

The new independent government, helped by the old colonial one was "keeping the peace". Sadly ironic.

(I'll share a Ewe Nations + Gold Coast + Togoland History reading list as soon as I can)