Question

Difficulty: MediumThe Macpherson Constitution of 1951

Match each key institution or feature of the Macpherson Constitution of 1951 on the left with its corresponding operational role or character on the right.

  • Council of MinistersFunctioned as the central executive body comprising central official members and twelve Nigerian ministers with advisory duties.
  • Electoral College SystemProvided a system of tiered indirect elections starting at the village level and progressing up to the central legislature.
  • Regional Houses of AssemblyReceived legislative powers for the first time over specific regional matters, subject to central legislative override.
  • 1948–1950 Constitutional ConsultationInvolved a broad bottom-up public inquiry across village, district, provincial, and regional levels culminating in the Ibadan Conference.

Answer

The correct pairings are: Council of Ministers matches with the central executive body comprising Nigerian ministers with advisory duties; Electoral College System matches with the tiered indirect election system; Regional Houses of Assembly matches with regional legislative powers subject to central override; and 1948–1950 Constitutional Consultation matches with the broad bottom-up public inquiry.
Each feature of the Macpherson Constitution matches its exact historical description: the Council of Ministers was the central executive organ; the Electoral College System facilitated tiered indirect representation; Regional Houses of Assembly held subordinate legislative powers; and the Constitutional Consultation process was a bottom-up public inquiry.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the central executive structure established under the Macpherson Constitution.
The Council of Ministers served as the central executive organ composed of official members and 12 Nigerian ministers.
The 1951 Constitution introduced Nigerian representatives into the central executive framework for the first time.
2
Analyze the mode of election into legislative bodies.
The Electoral College System operated as an indirect tiered voting process from village levels upward.
Direct franchise was limited, relying instead on electoral colleges at primary, intermediate, and regional levels.
3
Evaluate the legislative authority of regional assemblies.
Regional Houses of Assembly gained law-making powers on delegated subjects, subordinate to the central legislature.
The constitution introduced a quasi-federal arrangement where regional laws could be vetoed or overridden by the central government.
4
Examine the drafting and adoption process of the constitution.
The 1948–1950 Constitutional Consultation was a bottom-up public process reaching all administrative levels.
Public consultations were conducted across local units to ensure wide input, culminating in the 1950 General Conference at Ibadan.

Key Concept

Key structural provisions and consultative mechanisms of the Macpherson Constitution of 1951
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