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Question

Difficulty: EasyThe Macpherson Constitution of 1951

Arrange the following stages of the consultation process for the Macpherson Constitution of 1951 in chronological order from the lowest (local) level to the highest (national) level.

  1. 1Village and town meetings
  2. 2Provincial conferences
  3. 3Regional conferences
  4. 4General Constitutional Conference at Ibadan

Answer

The correct chronological order of the consultation process is: Village and town meetings, followed by Provincial conferences, then Regional conferences, and finally the General Constitutional Conference at Ibadan.
The Macpherson Constitution of 1951 was notable for its unprecedented bottom-up drafting process. Consultations began at the village and town levels, proceeded up to provincial conferences, advanced to regional conferences, and culminated in the General Constitutional Conference at Ibadan in January 1950.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grass-roots starting point of the 1949–1950 consultations.
Village and town meetings formed the initial bottom level of consultation.
Sir John Macpherson sought to avoid the criticism of top-down drafting that faced the Richards Constitution by starting at the local village level.
2
Determine the intermediate administrative consultation level.
Provincial conferences were held next.
Local opinions were aggregated at the provincial level before moving to broader regional discussions.
3
Identify the regional synthesis stage.
Regional conferences took place in Ibadan, Enugu, and Kaduna.
Delegates met in regional capitals to formulate regional positions on constitutional proposals.
4
Identify the final national drafting conference.
The General Constitutional Conference at Ibadan (January 1950) was the final stage.
Representatives from all regions met at Ibadan to reconcile regional differences and finalize recommendations for the 1951 constitution.

Key Concept

Bottom-up consultation process of the Macpherson Constitution
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Topics

The Macpherson Constitution of 1951