Features of Lyttleton Constitution of 1954

The Lyttleton Constitution

The Constitution of Nigeria is the supreme law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Lyttleton Constitution was enacted in 1954 and it established the federal principle and paved the way for independence. The Lyttelton Constitution of 1954 was the product of the Macpherson Constitution which was reviewed and revised through constitutional conferences e.g the 1953 London and 1954 Lagos Constitutional Conference. This constitution was enacted while Nigeria was a Crown colony of the British. Since then, there have been five more constitutions: 1960 Independence Constitution, 1963 Constitution- First Republic, 1979 Constitution- Second Republic, 1993 Constitution- Third Republic, and 1999 Constitution- Fourth Republic. The 1954 Lyttleton Constitution was regarded as a milestone in the Constitutional history of Nigeria. Arikpo Okoi described it as ” the kernel of all further constitutional changes , which culminated in the establishment of the Federal  Republic of Nigeria on October , 1963″. The constitution addressed some points to separate most of the central and inter dependence activities among the regions of the central. Some of the points are:

1. Each region should have an autonomous house of legislative and executive
2. There was no more central legislative and executive for Nigeria
3. Each region should have its own civil services
4. The central government should operate from a neutral place.

The Main Features of Lyttleton Constitution

1. Autonomy of regions was the most important.
2. Membership of the house of representative was increased to 184.
3. The constitution introduced a federal system of government by sharing government power between the Centre and the regions.
4. Lagos was carved out of the west and was made the federal capital territory.
5. The constitution provided for a council of ministers with the government general as president, 3 officials appointed by the governor-general, from each region on the advice of the regional executive council. The council of ministers was collectively responsible to the legislature, and advice the governor-general on execution of policies: it also initiated bills and formulated policies.
6. The system of allocation of revenue ceased to recognize the principles, need and national interest.
7. The house of representative was retained, but now with a speaker, 3 ex-official member, 92 members from the north, 42 from west and 42 from east.
8.  The north, west and eastern region system was retained. The north and west were made bicameral while the east remained unicameral. The north retained their houses of assembly and houses of Chiefs while the East had only a house of assembly.
9. The governor general of the Centre and government at each of the regions were given discretionary powers example the powers to approve bills for amending taxes.
10. The house of representatives was now to be presided over by the speaker, instead of the governor.
11.  The governor of the region cased to be members of the federal executive council.
12. The public service, the judiciary and the marketing boards were regionalized, while the police was made a federal subject, thus giving the regional assemblies more power
13. The post of premier was created in each region for the first time, and he was to advise the governor of his region.