Constitutional development

Traps in Constitutional development

• Confuses Nigerian constitutional history
  Clifford 1922: elective principle (Lagos, Calabar). Richards 1946: regionalism. Macpherson 1951: wider consultation, central council of ministers. Lyttleton 1954: true federalism. 1960: independence; 1963: republic.
• Picks a neighbouring date
  Learn key dates as a timeline with the event attached (1957 Ghana independence; 1960 republic; 1963 OAU). Check the event, not just a familiar year.
• Confuses Ghanaian constitutional history
  Burns 1946: African unofficial majority in Legislative Council. Coussey 1951: led to Nkrumah as Leader of Government Business. 1957 independence; 1960 republic (Nkrumah president); 1992 Fourth Republic.
• Military rule misconceptions
  Military regimes suspend the constitution and rule by decrees/edicts; the ruling council (e.g. Supreme Military Council) combines executive and legislative powers.
• Confuses electoral systems and bodies
  Franchise = right to vote. First-past-the-post: highest votes wins a constituency. Proportional representation: seats in proportion to votes.
• Confuses parliamentary and presidential systems
  Parliamentary: executive drawn from and responsible to legislature (fusion), separate head of state and head of government. Presidential: separate executive, fixed term, president is both heads.
• Attributes the idea or event to the wrong person
  Pair each thinker with one book and one key idea (Montesquieu – Spirit of the Laws – separation of powers; Hobbes – Leviathan – absolute sovereign; Locke – limited government).
• Confuses nationalist leaders and movements
  NCBWA (1920) – J.E. Casely Hayford; NNDP (1923) – Herbert Macaulay; NYM (1934/36); UGCC (1947) – J.B. Danquah; CPP (1949) – Kwame Nkrumah; NCNC (1944) – Azikiwe and Macaulay; Action Group (1951) – Awolowo; NPC – Ahmadu Bello.
• Picks the wrong country or place
  Learn the place with its distinguishing fact (OPEC HQ: Vienna; founded in Baghdad). Read whether the stem asks where something began or where it is now.
• Describes a different system of government
  Learn each classification as a table with one defining feature per type (parliamentary: fused executive and legislature; confederation: units keep sovereignty) and match the stem to that feature.
• Misunderstands judicial independence
  Independence is secured by security of tenure, salaries charged on the consolidated fund, appointment through a judicial service commission, and immunity for judicial acts.
• Picks a closely related concept
  Learn related terms as contrasting pairs with one-line definitions, then identify which one the stem describes.
• Confuses federal and unitary systems
  Federal: powers divided CONSTITUTIONALLY between centre and units (Nigeria, USA). Unitary: power concentrated at the centre, which may delegate (Ghana, UK).
• Reverses the principle or its effect
  Ask what problem the principle is meant to solve; the right answer serves that purpose, the reversal defeats it.
• Misunderstands local government
  Local government is government at the grassroots by locally elected councils with defined powers and revenue. Deconcentration transfers tasks to field officers of central ministries; devolution transfers powers to elected local bodies.