Section 1, 2 & 3 of the 1999 Constitution: Supremacy, Sovereignty and States

Constitution

The 1999 Constitution

Section 1 (1)

This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on the authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

(The constitution is the most powerful and important law in Nigeria and nobody (person or authority) in Nigeria is above it.)


Section 1 (2)

The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any persons or group of persons take control of the Government of Nigeria or any part thereof, except in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.

(Nigeria shall be governed by the provisions of this constitution.)


Section 1 (3)

If any other law is inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution, this Constitution shall prevail, and that other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.

(Any other law in Nigeria that in any way is contrary to what the constitution says, the part that is contrary will be seen as void. i.e. If Law ‘A’ states that ‘Killing is good’ and the constitution states that ‘Killing is bad’ then the constitution wins.)


Section 2 (1)

Nigeria is one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign state to be known by the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

(Nigeria is a country that cannot be divided and is unbreakable. Nigeria’s government name is Federal Republic of Nigeria.)


Section 2 (2)

Nigeria shall be a Federation consisting of States and a Federal Capital Territory.

(Nigeria operates a Federal System of Government which has States and a Federal Capital Territory.)


Section 3 (1)

There shall be 36 states in Nigeria, that is to say, Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers,
Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.

(Nigeria has 36 States; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara.) 


Section 3 (2)

Each state of Nigeria, named in the first column of Part I of the First Schedule to this Constitution, shall consist of the area shown opposite thereto in the second column of that Schedule.

(Each state is mentioned in the First Schedule (page 89) of this constitution as well as their respective Local Government.)


Section 3 (3)

The headquarters of the Governor of each State shall be known as the Capital City of that State as shown in the third column of the said Part I of the First Schedule opposite the State named in the first column thereof.

(The Governor’s headquarters is the Capital of each State which is mentioned in the First Schedule of this Constitution.)


Section 3 (4)

The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, shall be as defined in Part II of the First Scheduled to this Constitution.

(The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is defined in Part II of the First Schedule. This definition includes its geographical location; longitude and latitude as well as the Area councils in Abuja.)


Section 3 (5)

The provisions of this Constitution in Part I of Chapter VIII hereof shall in relation to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have effect in the manner set out thereunder.

(Chapter VIII of this Constitution explains the Federal Capital Territory Abuja and gives it the powers of a state. (This will be further discussed when we explain Chapter VIII of the Constitution.)


Section 3 (6)

There shall be 768 Local Government Areas in Nigeria as shown in the second column of Part I of the First Schedule to this Constitution and six area councils as shown in Part II of that Schedule.

(Nigeria has 768 Local Government Areas and 6 Area Councils.)

Footnote: The First Schedule is located in page 89 of the link to the 1999 Constitution included in this article.

Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution: The Legislative

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