DEPARTMENT OF

RENEWABLE ENERGY
ENGINEERING
Citizenship Education
(GNS 111)
ND 1 2023/2024
Trace the Historical
development of
Nigerian Constitution
and write the
provisions,features & criticism
of the Republican Constitution.

Question
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
THE REPUBLICAN CONSTITUTION
The Republican Constitution (1963):

*
The Republican Constitution was passed into law by the
National/Federal
Parliament on September 19, 1963. Then it came into operations
on October
1,1963; on this date, the third anniversary of Nigeria @
independence, the 1960
constitution was revoked & replaced by the 1963 constitution. By
this revocation,
the Queen of England ceased to be the Queen of Nigeria.Thus,
all the constitutional
functions of the Queen with respect to law making were
withdrawn and vested
in the President,Governor, and the Legislative houses.

The Second Republican Constitution (1979):

*
It was the assassinated Head of State General Murtala
Mohammed on coming to power
in 1975 who made a firm promise to return the country to a civil
rule after many years of
interregnum that started on January 15, 1966. Unfortunately,
General Murtala Mohammed
did not live to fulfill the promise but it was his successor General
Olusegun Obasanjo
who made the promise a reality. However, the fulfilment of the
promise commenced with
the establishment of Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) in
1975.
The proposed 50 member committee which finally encapsulated
49 members as a result
of the fact that Chief Obafemi Awolowo opted out because he
was not duly informed;
and it was chaired by Chief Rotimi Williams, a guru in
constitutional law.
Afterwards, the establishment of a constituent assembly
in 1976 followed later and
the 230 members assembly under the chairmanship of Justice
Udo Udoma was made up of
190 indirectly elected and 40 Federal Military Government
appointed members.
This assembly was mainly to examine and ratify the draft
constitution by the CDC. The
Constitution was finally promulgated after about 17 minor
amendments were made and it
came into effect on October 1, 1979.
FEATURES OF THE REPUBLICAN
CONSTITUTION
1. It enthroned a Republican Constitution in
Nigeria.
2. Queen of England was no longer Head of
State.
3. The Queen was replaced with the president
who became Head of
State and Commander-in-Chief of the armed
forces.
4. Supreme court replaced Privy Council as
highest court of appeal
in Nigeria.
5. It strengthened the Fundamental Human
Rights.
6. It abolishes the Judicial Service Commission
and made the Prime
Minister the sole appointee of judges.
7. The Supreme court was given power of
judicial review.
8. The process of creation of states and
boundary adjustment was
 embodied in the 1963 Republican
Constitution.
MERITS OF THE REPUBLICAN CONSTITUTION
1.The elected president became Head of State
instead of British Monarch.
2.The constitution became home based or derived.
3.Supreme court became the final court of appeal in
the land.
4.British influence over the country in any aspect was
terminated.
5.Nigerian were in complete control of decision
making and implementation.
6.Right of citizens was fully guaranteed and
entrenched.
DEMERITS OF THE REPUBLICAN
CONSTITUTION
1.The President represents a minority interest of
members of the House of
Representatives instead of majority vote of the
electorates.
2.The Legislative and the Executive arms of
government were fused.
3.It permitted carpet crossing where elected members
could easily change
allegiance for personal rewards.
4.Bribery and Corruption.
5.It had Parliamentary supremacy instead of
Constitutional Supremacy.
6.Prime minister was accountable to the parliament
not to the people.