Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardThe Lyttelton Constitution of 1954 and Nigerian Federalism

Which structural modification under the 1954 Lyttelton Constitution formally transformed Nigeria from the quasi-federal system of the 1951 Macpherson Constitution into a true federal state?

  1. The statutory allocation of residual legislative powers exclusively to regional legislatures alongside a defined Exclusive Legislative List for the central governmentAnswer
  2. B
    The initial creation of regional Houses of Assembly and Regional Executive Councils presided over by Lieutenant-Governors
  3. C
    The introduction of the elective principle to guarantee direct popular representation in both regional and central legislative councils
  4. D
    The consolidation of all regional judicial bodies into a single centralized Supreme Court holding exclusive original jurisdiction over regional laws

Answer

The statutory allocation of residual legislative powers exclusively to regional legislatures alongside a defined Exclusive Legislative List for the central government.
The 1954 Lyttelton Constitution is recognized as the foundation of formal Nigerian federalism because it legally divided legislative responsibilities into three distinct lists: Exclusive (central government), Concurrent (shared), and Residual (reserved exclusively for regional legislatures). Under the preceding 1951 Macpherson Constitution, the central legislature could override regional legislation, making the arrangement quasi-federal. The 1954 reform eliminated central legislative supremacy over regional matters.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the constitutional transition between the 1951 Macpherson Constitution and the 1954 Lyttelton Constitution.
Identified that the 1951 Constitution created a quasi-federal arrangement where central legislation could override regional laws on any subject.
True federalism requires constitutional autonomy and defined jurisdictional boundaries between federal and regional tiers.
2
Examine the legislative power distribution established in 1954.
The 1954 Lyttelton Constitution demarcated powers into Exclusive (central government), Concurrent (both central and regional), and Residual lists (reserved strictly for regions).
Reserving residual powers to the regions ensured regional autonomy from central legislative dominance.
3
Evaluate the option choices against historical constitutional provisions.
The explicit provision granting residual powers to regions and exclusive powers to the central government is the decisive legal feature defining 1954 Nigerian federalism.
This structural division permanently ended the central government's override authority over regional matters.

Key Concept

Division of Legislative Powers in the 1954 Lyttelton Constitution
Estimated Time:1m 30s
Rate this question

Topics

The Lyttelton Constitution of 1954 and Nigerian Federalism