Table of Contents

Key Features of the Lyttleton Constitution:

Federal Structure: Nigeria transitioned into a truly federal state with a clear division of powers between central and regional governments.
Executive Appointments: The governor appointed the speaker of the House of Assembly, who could be chosen from members or non-members of the house.
Governor Titles: The governor was referred to as governor-general, while lieutenant governors became designated governors.
Judicial and Public Service: Both judiciary and public service were regionalized, each having its own federal and regional commissions.
Premiership: The provision for a regional leader of government business (premier) was established.

Merits of the Lyttleton Constitution:

Formalized Federalism: The constitution officially established the federal structure.
Direct Elections: Direct elections were introduced for federal and regional legislatures.
Regional Leadership: Nigerians held positions of premiers and speakers in the regions.
Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministers were made heads of departments with full accountability.

Demerits of the Lyttleton Constitution:

Autocratic Powers: Governor-general and regional governors retained some autocratic powers.
Lack of Nigerian Prime Minister: The constitution failed to replace the British governor-general with a Nigerian prime minister.
No Common Electoral System: There was no unified electoral system for the entire country.
Revenue Formula: The revenue formula favoured derivation over need and national interest.
Regionalism Encouragement: The regional structure fostered regionalism, ethnicity, and national disunity.

1958 Constitutional Conference:

The final pre-independence constitutional conference convened in London from September 29 to October 27, 1958. Topics included the creation of additional regions or states to address fears of ethnic dominance and discussions on granting independence to Nigeria.