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Difficulty: MediumCitizenship: Acquisition, Renunciation, and Deprivation

Under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the President possesses the constitutional power to deprive a Nigerian citizen by birth of their citizenship if they are convicted of treason.

Answer: Answer

Answer

The statement is False. Under the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, citizenship by birth is indefeasible, meaning the executive branch cannot revoke the citizenship of a person who is a Nigerian citizen by birth.
The statement is false because Section 30 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria restricts the power of deprivation of citizenship strictly to naturalized and registered citizens. Citizens by birth are constitutionally immune from having their citizenship revoked by the state.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the modes of citizenship and constitutional rules on deprivation.
Nigerian citizenship can be acquired by birth, registration, or naturalization under Sections 25, 26, and 27 of the 1999 Constitution.
Different rules apply to citizenship by birth compared to citizenship acquired by registration or naturalization.
2
Examine Section 30 of the 1999 Constitution regarding deprivation of citizenship.
Section 30 explicitly stipulates that the President may deprive a person who is a citizen of Nigeria 'other than a citizen by birth' of their citizenship under specified conditions such as disloyalty or conviction for treasonable offenses.
To verify whether citizens by birth can be stripped of their status by presidential order.
3
Evaluate the statement based on constitutional provisions.
Because citizenship by birth is protected from executive deprivation, the assertion that the President can deprive a citizen by birth of citizenship is false.
To establish the correct truth value of the stem.

Key Concept

Deprivation of Citizenship under the 1999 Constitution
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Topics

Citizenship: Acquisition, Renunciation, and Deprivation