Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Nigeria, a former British colony, gained its independence in 1960 and became a Republic in 1963. It experienced military governments from 1966 until 1979 when constitutional government was reinstated, until 1983, when the military once again overthrew the government before finally restoring power to a civilian government established by the present 1999 Constitution. Consequently, the 1999 Constitution must be seen against the background of a rich constitutional history rooted in a colonial past, constitutionalism in an emergent state, military coup d'etats, and commonwealth influences. This work aims to examine the dynamic influences that shaped the Constitutional Law in Nigeria; the main concepts that constitute the fundamental pillars of Nigerian Constitutional law as entrenched in the 1999 Constitution; and the prevalent 'national or constitutional questions' that lie behind demands for sovereign national conference, constitutional reforms and\or amendments.