JSS2 Civic Education Third Term: Constitutional Development In Nigeria

Topic: Constitutional Development In Nigeria – Post Independence Constitutions

The Independence Constitution.

The 1957 conference that was held was to review the past constitution and make amends on the faults in the constitution. The following decisions were reached:

1. It was agreed that the house of senate would be made up of eight members from each region and four from Lagos.
2. The house of representatives would be made up of 320 members chosen according  to the population of the area
3. That there would be full regional self government for the three regions
4. That the house of senate and House of Representatives would be the two legislative houses for the federal government.
5. It was decided from other of the conferences that Oct 1^st, 1960 will be Independence Day.
6. Southern Cameroon was planned to be made a region .Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was made the prime minister of Nigeria in on the 2^nd of sep.1957.

Features of the independence constitution

1. Only two-third of the majority would be allowed to change or amend the existing constitution.
2. The constitution was to be made up of federal structure
3. Houses of assembly would be two, one at the centre and another one at each state.
4. The parliament would move for the creation of new regions or state that would affect the boundaries.

The 1963 constitution

This is the post independence constitution. Under the 1960 and the 1963 constitution, a true federal system made up of strong states or regions and a central or federal state with limited power was instituted. From independence to about September 1963, most of all that were done was tune towards the way of our colonial masters, the Britons. The parliamentary procedure was like in the British parliament. In August 1963, the mid- west region was created because of the crisis which erupted in Action Group, the political party in control of western region at that time. Under the 1960 and 1963 constitution a true federal system made up of strong states or regions and a central or federal state with limited powers was instituted.

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