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Question

Difficulty: MediumSecond Republic and the 1979 Presidential Constitution

To prevent the domination of federal government institutions by any single ethnic group or region, the 1979 Constitution of Nigeria mandated that presidential appointments to cabinet positions must reflect the country's diversity. Which constitutional principle was formally introduced to enforce this requirement?

  1. The Federal Character PrincipleAnswer
  2. B
    The principle of Collective Responsibility
  3. C
    The doctrine of Parliamentary Supremacy
  4. D
    The concept of Unitary Devolution

Answer

The Federal Character Principle is the constitutional requirement established in the 1979 Constitution to ensure that appointments to public offices reflect Nigeria's geopolitical diversity.
The option selecting the Federal Character Principle is correct because Section 14(3) of the 1979 Presidential Constitution formally mandated that federal appointments, including ministers and heads of agencies, must reflect the geopolitical diversity of Nigeria to foster national unity and prevent hegemony by any group.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core constitutional problem addressed by the 1979 Constitution regarding appointments
The constitution sought to address regional imbalances, ethnic domination, and fear of marginalization in political appointments.
Previous political crises during the First Republic stemmed from perceived dominance by major ethnic groups.
2
Match the requirement for diverse representation with its specific constitutional term
Section 14(3) of the 1979 Constitution institutionalized the 'Federal Character Principle'.
This provision explicitly required the composition of the Federal Government and its agencies to reflect the national character of Nigeria.

Key Concept

Federal Character Principle under the 1979 Constitution
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Topics

Second Republic and the 1979 Presidential Constitution