Osinbajos interpretation of section 171 of the constitution. Constitution of the federal republic of nigeria 1999, as amended to 2010 english. And in july 2010, an amended constitution was created. Section 251 of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of nigeria. Nigerias constitution of 1999 with amendments through 2011. May 15, 2017 the brilliant and piquantwitted professor of law, endowed with sharp, appetizing intelligence, who is also a senior advocate of nigeria san, yemi osinbajo, nigerias vicepresident and now. Amended constitution 199920112012 of federal republic of. There is a saying that police is your friend in nigeria.
A highly accessible, easy to use app version of the constitution of nigeria the supreme law of the federal republic of nigeria with its 1st, 2nd and 3rd amendments. As part of this process chatham house is hosting an event for ukbased nigerians to engage with some members of the committee and contribute to the. Section 251 of the 1999 constitution of the federal. Download the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria 1999. Nigeria s first constitutions were enacted by order in council during the colonial era, when the country was administered. Journal of law, policy and globalization issn 22243240 paper issn 22243259 online vol. It is the supreme law in any country and any law inconsistent with its provisions is null and void. This complete constitution has been generated from excerpts of texts from the repository of the.
The constitution, in nigerias situation, is the supreme law of the land which all acts of individuals and of parliament must not contravene. Constitution of nigeria 1999 wikisource, the free online. The 1999 nigeria constitution as amended is free for download for your use any time either in word doc or in pdf. It shows and discusses the constitutional and statutory provisions that were enacted for the dispensation and.
Download the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of nigeria, as amended, free pdf copy for desktop and mobile. Subject to the provisions of this constitution, the executive powers of the federation. Section 251 of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic. The whole of chapter ii of the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria cfrn 1999 made up of 12 sections spanning section to 24 contain the political, economic, social, cultural and. Constitution of the federal republic of nigeria 1999, as. Amended constitution 199920112012 of federal republic of nigeria. There shall be a national assembly for the federation which shall consist of a senate and a house of representatives. Part ii powers of the federal republic of nigeria 4. Major contentious issues in the 1999 constitution of nigeria. Constitution of the federal republic of nigeria pdf download. The land use act 1978 in the context of the 1999 constitution in nigeria. A fundamental flaw of the 1999 constitution is the lack of consultation and participatory input of the people its directly affect. Constitution of the federal republic of nigeria, fourth alteration bill, no.
Reps approve 71 amendments to nigerian constitution. In january 2011, two amendments of the 1999 constitution were signed by president olusegun obasanjo, the first. Nigerians as well as the senate are fully aware of the shortcomings, ambiguities, lack of clarity and even. Thus, in the colonial era, the constitution, where it existed, rather than being an instrument of empowerment was an. We the people of the federal republic of nigeria, having firmly and solemnly resolved, to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under god, dedicated to the promotion of interafrican solidarity, world peace, international cooperation and understanding and to provide for a constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all. Rethinking the provisions of section 285 6 of the 1999. Constitution of 29 may 1999, as amended by the first, second. This was instituted by general olusegun obasanjo, who constituted a 49 member constitution drafting committee and it was headed by f. Nigeria is unarguably one of the most influential countries in africa. This include the 1914 constitution, the 1922 clifford constitution, the 1946 richards constitution, the 1951 macpherson constitution, the 1954 lyttleton constitution, the 1960 independence constitution, the 1963 republican constitution, the 1979 constitution, the. This particular section 42 deals specifically with right to freedom from discrimination of the nigerian citizens, that is, the right. The brilliant and piquantwitted professor of law, endowed with sharp, appetizing intelligence, who is also a senior advocate of nigeria san, yemi. The current constitution was enacted on 29 may 1999, inaugurating the nigerian fourth republic. In other words, the beneficiary of the immunity clause is subject to investigation at the cessation of the protected period as long as there is probable cause to do so.
Jun 23, 2016 simply put, the immunity as it is in section 308 of the 1999 constitution, as amended, is not about the person or the conduct. Any citizen of nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his nigerian. Full list of 1999 constitution amendment channels television. For clarity of purpose, the said section provides as follows. The importance of a constitution in any given society cannot be overemphasized. As an electronic pdf softcopy, it will be delivered to you by email. The constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed with a twothirds majority vote in both the senate and the house of representatives.
Many people do not have access to the nigerian constitution and so, do not have any idea what their rights are. Constitution of the federal republic of nigeria amendment, 2010, download. Constitution of the federal republic of nigeria, 1999, download pdf version. Amending the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria 1999. All illegal use and all profanation of these attributes are punished by the law. The constitution of the federal republic of nigeria 1999. The provisions of section 42 of the 1999 constitution of the. The 1999 constitution of the federal republic of nigeria. Constitution of the federal republic of nigeria first alteration act 2010, constitution of the federal republic of nigeria second alteration act 2010, constitution of the federal republic of nigeria third alteration act 2010, all available in english.
The first alteration bill was passed by the national assembly on 3rd of june 2010 and among other things it sought to provide for the. A new amendment makes it mandatory for the president to address a joint meeting of the. Section 4 of the constitution vest legislative powers of the federation and states on the national assembly and the various states assembly. Jun 06, 2011 this paper therefore is an attempt to examine the major defaults of the 1999 constitution of nigeria. The constitution of the federal republic of nigeria 1999 by dr gbenga adebayo in download download the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria 1999 here. Mar 17, 2016 history of nigerian constitutional development introduction. Nigerias first constitutions were enacted by order in council during the colonial era, when the country was administered. It is the fundamental and organic law of a nation or state that establishes. Also, in rendering our judgment on whether to amend or expunge sec 308 from our constitution, we should take cognizance of the fact.
The section 9 of the bill, as contained in the report, pointed out that the essence of the removal of the power of the president to assent to an alteration bill was to enhance the sovereignty of the citizens through their elected representatives. A constitution amendment of the existing 1922 constitution resulted to the 1946 constitution, also known as the richard constitution, in recognition of then british governorgeneral of nigeria, sir arthur richards. Article 2 the attributes of the republic, such as defined in the first article, are reserved for the use of the public powers. The provisions of section 42 of the 1999 constitution of. The amendment of the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria 1999 has not been free of controversies. Parliamentary system of government was jettisoned by the. So far there have been three 3 sets of amendments to the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of nigeria.
Notably, this constitution gave rise to the first division of nigeria into geopolitical regions, the three main regions namely. Free download 1999 nigeria constitution as amended pdf. The section 42 of the amended 1999 constitution of the federal republic of nigeria can be found under chapter 4 of the constitution which takes care of the fundamental human rights of the nigerian citizens. The latest controversy dogging the amendment relates to whether or not it is necessary for the president to assent to the bill of the national assembly amending the constitution, even after the amendment has been ratified by at least twothirds of the houses of assembly of. Article 3 the republic of niger is a unitary state. The inscription republique du niger republic of niger is placed below. Nigerias constitution was amended earlier this year. Email to order list of amendments under the fourth amendment alteration of the 1999 constitution. Constitution of the federal republic of nigeria, 1999 2. On the whole, looking at the supremacy of the constitution and governance in nigeria, it is instructive to note that there has been poor culture of constitutionalism in nigeria.
Although the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria was promulgated into existence by military decree no24 of 1999, the constitution itself is not a decree. All amendments to the nigerian constitution, and the original copy are available in pdf for a fee of n5000. Jan 10, 2017 we the people of the federal republic of nigeria, having firmly and solemnly resolved, to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under god, dedicated to the promotion of interafrican solidarity, world peace, international cooperation and understanding and to provide for a constitution for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all. Constitution of the federal republic of nigeria 1999 chapter i. The constitution attained its validity once it was accepted as from 29 may 1999 by the people of nigeria as the legal. Obata, nigeria pdf consulted on 20050810 legislation online the house of representatives, national assembly, nigeria pdf of constitution doc. Section 2511 notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this constitution and in addition to such other jurisdiction as may be conferred upon it by an act of the national assembly, the federal high court shall have and exercise jurisdiction to the exclusion of any other court in civil causes and matters. Oct 15, 2014 in other constitution amendments, house members also approved independent candidacy in elections in nigeria. This paper therefore is an attempt to examine the major defaults of the 1999 constitution of nigeria. Introduction the constitution is the most important document in the governance of any country.
Nigeria constitution of the federal republic of nigeria. It contains the rules and regulations both legal and nonlegal, which ordain, order, regulate and sustain the government of a given country. A dissestion of section 308 of the constitution of the. The current constitution was enacted on 29 may 1999, inaugurating the nigerian. The amendment process required the participation of all 36 state legislative bodies and governors. Comparative constitutions project, and distributed on. Constitutional development in nigeria from 1914 till date.
In nigeria, the constitution of the federal republic of nigeria 1999 as amended gives express recognition to the operation of the principle of separation of powers among governmental institutions. Act online international centre for nigerian law in association with the chambers of e. This post contains the full list of parts and sections of the constitution that were amended by nigeria s national assembly. History of nigerian constitutional development the jet lawyer. The constitution of nigeria is the supreme law of the federal republic of nigeria. Amending the constitution of the federal republic of. Aug 02, 20 the section 42 of the amended 1999 constitution of the federal republic of nigeria can be found under chapter 4 of the constitution which takes care of the fundamental human rights of the nigerian citizens. Pdf nonjusticiability of chapter ii of the nigerian. Niki tobi, existing law and the new constitution, 19771980 nigeria l. Section 66 the judicial powers vested in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this section a shall extend, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this constitution, to all inherent powers and sanctions of a court of law. States of the federation and the federal capital territory, abuja. The ongoing constitution amendment is unarguably the most talkabout issue in nigeria today, the battle is between those for it and those against it, and the ones for seems to be winning the battle, thanks to the psychological methods of actio.
Thus, in the colonial era, the constitution, where it existed, rather than being an instrument of empowerment was an instrument of domination. Introduction section 308 of the 1999 constitution as amended, has in crystal clear terms restricted legal proceedings against the president and vicepresident of nigeria and the governors and deputy governors, respectively, of the various states. The nigerian senate voted to amend some key elements of the countrys constitution wednesday, amidst growing complaints by some citizens that the document has become increasingly unworkable. Section 9 of the 1999 constitution lays down two different criteria for the amendment of vital or entrenched provisions,x and the amendment of any other part of the email. Review of the 1999 constitution and nigerian democracy 4. Jul 27, 2017 here is a full list of the sections amended. Nigeria child law resources the african child policy forum. Review of the 1999 constitution, nigerian democracy 1.
Constitution of the federal republic of nigeria 1999. Constitution of the federal republic of nigeria section chapter i general provisions part ifederal republic of nigeria. History of nigerian constitutional development the. Perhaps, one of the most significant amendment made to the 1999 constitution by the national assembly in its alteration act no. The constitution was amended by justice udo udoma and it as instituted on october 1 st, 1979. The much derided immunity inherent in section 308 of the 1999 constitution is not applicable once the individual protected under the section ceases to function in an immune capacity. How many times has the 1999 nigerian constitution been. There have been at least ten attempts to make or amend a constitution for nigeria. Full list of 1999 constitution amendment 1999 constitution.
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