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Difficulty: HardSecond Republic and the 1979 Presidential Constitution

Under the 1979 Constitution of Nigeria, a key mechanism required the Executive President to seek Senate confirmation for ministerial nominees while ensuring at least one minister was appointed from each state of the federation. This procedure primarily reconciled which two fundamental political concepts?

  1. Separation of powers through legislative checks and balances, and the federal character principle for equitable representation.Answer
  2. B
    Parliamentary collective responsibility and the legal sovereignty of the national assembly over executive cabinet decisions.
  3. C
    Judicial review of presidential prerogatives and central administrative control over subnational government organs.
  4. D
    Devolution of exclusive legislative power to state assemblies and absolute executive immunity from parliamentary oversight.

Answer

Separation of powers through legislative checks and balances, and the federal character principle for equitable representation.
The 1979 Presidential Constitution established an executive presidential system with strict separation of powers. Requiring Senate confirmation for ministerial nominees ensured legislative checks and balances on presidential appointments, while the requirement to select ministers from every state embodied the federal character principle to guarantee geopolitical equity.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the constitutional requirement of Senate approval for presidential nominees.
Senate confirmation acts as a mechanism of checks and balances under the separation of powers doctrine in a presidential system.
It prevents executive dictatorship by giving the legislature oversight authority over cabinet appointments.
2
Analyze the constitutional mandate for appointing at least one minister from every state.
This reflects the Federal Character principle enshrined in Section 14(3) of the 1979 Constitution.
It promotes national unity and prevents domination of government by specific ethnic or regional groups.
3
Synthesize the two requirements to identify the joint political principles.
The provision combines legislative checks and balances with federal character representation.
Both principles balance central executive power with legislative oversight and subnational inclusivity.

Key Concept

Executive-Legislative Checks and Balances and the Federal Character Principle under the 1979 Constitution
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Second Republic and the 1979 Presidential Constitution