AN APPRAISAL OF MILITARY RULE AND THE NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION
AN APPRAISAL OF MILITARY RULE AND THE NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION
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Date
1999-02
Authors
IBRAHIM, BASHIR YUSUF
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Abstract
'Constitution' may be defined as a- document having a
special legal sanctity which sets out the framework and the
principal functions of the organs of government within the
state, 'and declares the principles which those' organs must
operate. Moreover, it includes the whole system of government of
a country, the collection of rules which establish and regulate
or govern the government. Therefore, a constitution may be
written or unwritten. But the practice of most modern
governments, including Nigeria, is to "have a'' written
constitution.
Constitutional principles were gradually introduced into
Nigeria,by the British colonial power from annexation of Lagos
in 1862 to independence in 1"960. Thus, the issue of constitution
for Nigeria has been as old as the formation of the country
i t s e l f . Even after independence, the search for a durable
constitution had occupied the government. The post independent
constitutions for. Nigeria were usually short-lived as a result
of Military' Coup D'etat. "Of the t h i r t y nine years of the
country's existence, only ten years ' were spent under
constitutional governments. Dictatorships, military or otherwise
are antithesis of constitutional government. The Practice of
Military Governments in Nigeria has been to' suspend or abrogate
some certain sections of the. constitution. A kind of combination
of dictatorship and constitutionalism.
Description
A Thesis Submitted to the Postgraduate School, Ahmadu
Bello University, Zaria in Partial Fulfilment of
the Requirement for the Award of Doctor
of Philosophy Law (Ph.D).
Keywords
APPRAISAL,, MILITARY RULE,, NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION,, APPRAISAL OF MILITARY RULE