THE 1999 NIGERIA CONSTITUTION

CONTENT

1. Background to the 1999 Constitution
2. The Features of the 1999 Constitution
3. Strengths of the 1999 Constitution
4. Weaknesses of the 1999 Constitution
5. The Process of Constitutional Review in the 1999 Constitution
6. The Mode of Altering the Provisions of the Constitution
7. General Features of the Post 1960 Constitutions

Background to the 1999 Constitution

Amongst a few of the defects of the 1979 constitution was that the presidential system was too expensive to maintain. There were clashes of conflict between the Executive and the National Assembly. Its impeachment clause was too flexible and had the propensity to lead to instability like the breach in procedure- constitutionally ultra vires action of removing Alhaji Balarabe Musa from office as the then Kaduna State Governors, corruption and abuse of offices were on the increase especially as lobbying was legalized. As a result on December 1983, three months into the second term of the ruling National Party Nigeria (NPN), the government in power at the centre that major-Gen Buhari in a bloodless coup deposed it, and all political activities and the 1979 constitution was suspended.