Government: Constitutional Development, Federalism and Elections
Government in JAMB tests Nigerian constitutional development, the structure of government, federalism, elections and political parties, and foreign policy. Expect questions that ask you to identify a principle, date a constitution or distinguish one system from another.
Constitutional milestones
- Clifford Constitution (1922): introduced the elective principle for Lagos and Calabar.
- Richards Constitution (1946): created the North, West and East regions.
- Macpherson Constitution (1951): established ministerial government.
- Lyttleton Constitution (1954): firmly established federalism.
- Independence (1960); the Republican Constitution (1963) made the President head of state.
Institutions and principles
- Separation of powers allocates law-making, execution and adjudication to the legislature, executive and judiciary.
- Checks and balances let each arm limit the others; the rule of law requires equality before the law and an independent judiciary.
- Federalism divides powers: the exclusive list goes to the federal government, the concurrent list to both tiers, and the residual list to the states.
Worked example
Which feature best shows that Nigeria is a federation? Options: a single central government, division of powers between central and state governments, one legal system, a ceremonial president. The answer is division of powers. A unitary state can have one legal system and a ceremonial president, but only a federation shares sovereignty between tiers.
Traps
- The 1963 Republican Constitution did not create the office of Prime Minister; it replaced the Queen with a Nigerian President.
- Do not confuse the Richards (1946) and Macpherson (1951) constitutions.
- Federal character is a policy, not a principle of separation of powers.