CONSTITUTIONAL ALTERATION AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

With the return to democratic rule in 1999, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered), which is modelled after the country’s defunct Constitution of 1979, came into force. Since then, there have been calls for alteration of the Constitution by many Nigerians. Pursuant to these calls, a number of alterations have been made to the original constitutional text, with the objective of consolidating democratic governance in Nigeria. This paper broadly examines these constitutional alterations and considers their net implications for the democratic process of the country. Based on doctrinal methodology and secondary reference to empirical studies, the paper findings that some modest gains have been made through the alterations, especially in the areas of institutional strengthening of the National Assembly and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Nonetheless, the paper concludes that much still needs to be done to institute the devolution of powers in the country, through further constitutional alteration.