Features of the Colonial Constitution II – JSS3 Civic Education Lesson Note (First Term)

A colonial constitution is the set of rules used to govern Nigeria under British rule.

This note covers the Macpherson Constitution of 1951, which created the central House of Representatives, and the Lyttleton Constitution of 1954, which gave Nigeria a full federal structure and made Lagos the federal capital.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. state the features of the Macpherson Constitution of 1951;
2. list its advantages and disadvantages;
3. state the features of the Lyttleton Constitution of 1954;
4. list its advantages and disadvantages;
5. compare the two constitutions.

What are the key terms used in this topic?

These are the words students must know before studying the two constitutions.

What was the Macpherson Constitution of 1951?

The Macpherson Constitution was the 1951 constitution that created the central House of Representatives for Nigeria.

• Named after: Sir John Macpherson, who replaced Sir Arthur Richards as governor in 1948.
• Year: it came into force in 1951.
• Aim: to give Nigerians a larger share in governing their country.

What were the features of the Macpherson Constitution of 1951?

• House of Representatives: it created a central legislative council with this name.
• Central executive council: it created one executive body for the whole country.
• Nigerian ministers: Nigerians were appointed to the executive council as ministers (12 ministers).
• Three unequal regions: it continued with the East, West and North.
• Regional councils: each region had both a legislative council and an executive council.

What were the advantages of the Macpherson Constitution?

• House of Representatives: it was created for the first time.
• Bicameral regional legislatures: the West and North regions each had two chambers.
• Political parties: it encouraged the formation of political parties in Nigeria.
• Elective principle: it kept the principle first introduced by the Clifford Constitution in 1922.

What were the disadvantages of the Macpherson Constitution?

• Governor’s veto: the governor still had veto powers.
• No Prime Minister: the constitution made no provision for the office.
• Regional parties: the existing political parties were based in the regions.
• Not fully federal: it failed to make Nigeria a full federal structure.

What was the Lyttleton Constitution of 1954?

The Lyttleton Constitution was the 1954 constitution that gave Nigeria a full federal structure.

• Named after: Oliver Lyttelton, the British Secretary of State for the Colonies.
• Year: it came into force in 1954.
• Result: the regions gained more power, and Nigeria became a federation.

What were the features of the Lyttleton Constitution?

• Federal system: it established a federal system and gave Nigeria a full federal structure.
• Speaker: it provided for the post of speaker of the House of Representatives.
• Premiers: it created the post of premier for each region.
• Federal capital: Lagos was detached from the Western Region and made the federal capital of Nigeria.
• New titles: the lieutenant-governors in the regions became governors, and the governor became Governor General.

What were the advantages of the Lyttleton Constitution?

• Regional services: each region had its own civil service and judiciary.
• Federalism: it gave birth to the federal system of government in Nigeria.
• Federal capital territory: it established Lagos as the federal capital.
• Premiers: it established the post of premier in each region.
• Regional speakers: it created the offices of speaker and deputy speaker in the regions.

What were the disadvantages of the Lyttleton Constitution?

• No central Prime Minister: no provision was made for the post at the central level.
• No uniform elections: the regions did not share one electoral system.
• Veto power: the Governor General still had veto power.
• Regional loyalty: the ministers were loyal to their regions.
• No central bicameral legislature: the centre had only one chamber.

What is the difference between the Macpherson and Lyttleton Constitutions?

The Macpherson Constitution created the central House of Representatives but kept a weak federal structure. The Lyttleton Constitution made Nigeria a full federation with strong regions.

Evaluation

1. Mention five features of the Macpherson Constitution.
2. State two disadvantages of the Macpherson Constitution.
3. Mention five features of the Lyttleton Constitution.
4. What were the disadvantages of the Lyttleton Constitution of 1954?
5. Which constitution created the House of Representatives, and which one made Lagos the federal capital?

Assignment

Draw a table comparing the Macpherson and Lyttleton Constitutions under three headings: features, one advantage and one disadvantage. Read Fundamentals of Civic Education for JSS2 by Sola Akinyemi, pages 133 to 135, to help you.