33 reviewed questions with answers and explanations.
Practice selection: full-paper coverage has not been confirmed.
The right to direct and command people is
A: authority
Authority is the recognized right to direct others and expect obedience. Power is the ability to secure compliance, which may exist without that recognized right.
AI-reviewed · source checkedWhen sovereignty rest with component states in a political system the constitution is referred to as
C: confederal
In a confederation, the participating states retain their sovereignty and delegate limited functions to a common body. That retained sovereignty distinguishes it from a federal arrangement.
AI-reviewed · source checkedIn a parliamentary system of government, the offices of head of state and head of government are
B: separated
The parliamentary model separates the head of state from the head of government. A prime minister leads the government while a monarch or president performs the distinct head-of-state role.
AI-reviewed · source checkedCitizenship may be changed by
A: Renunciation
Renunciation is a formal act of giving up citizenship under the applicable legal procedure. It can change a person's citizenship status, unlike divorce by itself.
AI-reviewed · source checkedFascism emphasizes
C: nationalism
Fascism places extreme emphasis on the nation and loyalty to an authoritarian state. This aggressive nationalism contrasts with political equality and liberal individual rights.
AI-reviewed · source checkedGovernment by the few is
C: oligarchy
Oligarchy means government by a small group. Monarchy identifies rule by a monarch, while autocracy describes concentrated personal authority rather than specifically rule by a few.
AI-reviewed · source checkedThe doctrine of separation of power is associated with
A: Montesquieu
Montesquieu gave a major formulation of the separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers. The division was intended to protect liberty by preventing concentrated power.
AI-reviewed · source checkedThe primary function of the judiciary is to
C: interpret laws
The judiciary interprets and applies laws when deciding disputes. Making general legislation and executing government policy are primarily the responsibilities of the other branches.
AI-reviewed · source checkedWhich of the following encourages capitalism?
C: private ownership of the means of production
Private ownership of productive resources supports capitalist enterprise. Comprehensive public ownership and central planning instead describe different forms of economic organization.
AI-reviewed · source checkedWhich of the following nations operates an unwritten constitution?
D: Great Britain
Great Britain is part of the United Kingdom, whose constitution is uncodified. Constitutional rules are found in several sources rather than one comprehensive document.
AI-reviewed · source checkedThe principle of collective responsibility means that ministers
B: are collectively responsible for cabinet decisions
Collective responsibility requires ministers to support cabinet decisions publicly as a team. A minister who cannot support a decision may need to resign rather than publicly oppose it while remaining in office.
AI-reviewed · source checkedOne of the important advantages of federalism is that
B: each state can develop at its own pace
Federal autonomy allows constituent states to pursue policies suited to local needs within the constitution. It does not imply an unrestricted right to secede or prevent shared taxation powers.
AI-reviewed · source checkedIn simple plurality electoral system, the winner receives
D: the highest vote cast in favour of any candidate
Plurality requires more votes than any other individual candidate. The winner can have less than half of the total votes if support is divided among several candidates.
AI-reviewed · source checkedAn essential feature of democracy is
B: people's consent
Democratic authority rests on the consent of the governed, expressed through political participation and accountable institutions. A rigid constitution or two legislative chambers is not essential in every democracy.
AI-reviewed · source checkedWhich of the following is NOT a mode of constitutional change?
A: party manifesto
A party manifesto sets out political commitments but does not itself change constitutional law. Formal amendments and authoritative legal changes can alter constitutional arrangements.
AI-reviewed · source checkedAttempts to influence legislation by persuading legislators are known a
C: lobbying
Lobbying seeks to persuade legislators or other public officials to support a particular decision. It is distinct from campaigning to elect candidates or redrawing constituencies.
AI-reviewed · source checkedThe public complaints commission is empowered to investigate complaints and
B: report findings to appropriate authorities for action
The Public Complaints Commission investigates administrative complaints and reports findings or recommendations to the appropriate authority. It does not itself replace a prosecutor or disciplinary authority.
AI-reviewed · source checkedThe ruling system in pre-colonial Hausa Fulani societies where rulers were both religious and political heads was referred to as
C: theocracy
Theocracy describes government in which political authority is closely joined to religious authority. The emir's combined political and spiritual roles explain the classification in this question.
AI-reviewed · source checkedA major constitutional change made by Major General J. T. U. Aguiyi-Ironsi's government was the
A: abolition of federalism
Ironsi's Unification Decree replaced the federal structure with a unitary arrangement in 1966. Federalism was restored after his government ended.
AI-reviewed · source checkedWhich of the following principal officials was NOT a member of the state house of assembly?
D: the clerk of the house
The clerk is a professional officer who supports the House's administration and procedure. The speaker, deputy speaker and leader of the House are members of the legislature.
AI-reviewed · source checkedAccording to the 1976 local government reforms, the chief executive of a local government council is the
B: chairman of the local government council
The local-government chairman heads the council's executive structure. Supervisory councillors handle portfolios, while the secretary provides administrative support rather than heading the council.
AI-reviewed · source checkedAfricans were first elected to the legislative council in British West Africa in
D: Nigeria
Nigeria's Clifford Constitution introduced elected African representation in the legislative council in 1922. The first elections under that arrangement were held in 1923, earlier than equivalent elective provisions in the other listed colonies.
AI-reviewed · source checkedUnder the Independence Constitution, the head of government was the
C: Prime minister
Under the 1960 Independence Constitution, the prime minister led the federal government. The Governor-General represented the monarch as head of state, while premiers led regional governments.
AI-reviewed · source checkedThe Nigeria National Alliance of the First Republic was made up of
C: NPC and NNDP
The Nigerian National Alliance brought together the NPC and the later NNDP as its principal partners. It opposed the rival United Progressive Grand Alliance in the First Republic's electoral politics.
AI-reviewed · source checkedThe headquarters of the Economic Commission for Africa is located in
D: Ethiopia
The Economic Commission for Africa is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is a UN regional commission rather than an institution headquartered in the other listed countries.
AI-reviewed · source checkedIn 1988, all the following were Commonwealth members except
D: Gabon
Gabon was not a Commonwealth member in 1988; it joined in 2022. Lesotho, Jamaica and Kenya had already joined, so the historical membership question identifies Gabon.
AI-reviewed · source checkedOne of the functions of the Ministry of External Affairs is the
D: promotion of national interest
The foreign affairs ministry promotes national interests through diplomacy and international cooperation. Border defence and immigration enforcement belong primarily to other public agencies.
AI-reviewed · source checkedIn 1988, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council were
A: China, UK USSR, USA and France
In 1988, the permanent members were China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. Russia continued the Soviet Union's seat after the USSR dissolved in 1991.
AI-reviewed · source checkedBefore the OAU was formed in 1963, Nigeria was a member of the
A: Monrovia Bloc
Nigeria belonged to the Monrovia group before the OAU was established in 1963. This grouping supported cooperation among sovereign African states rather than an immediate continental political union.
AI-reviewed · source checkedWhich of the following has NOT been a secretary-general of the OAU?
A: Adebayo Adedeji
Adebayo Adedeji headed the UN Economic Commission for Africa, not the OAU. Diallo Telli, Edem Kodjo and Ide Oumarou held the OAU Secretary-General position.
AI-reviewed · source checkedThe OAU Secretary-General was appointed by the
D: Assembly of Heads of State and Government
The OAU Charter assigned appointment of its administrative Secretary-General to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government. The secretariat did not appoint its own head.
AI-reviewed · source checkedIn 1988, Nigeria belonged to
B: OAU, the UNO and ECOWAS
Nigeria belonged to the OAU, United Nations and ECOWAS in 1988. It was not a member of NATO or the Organization of American States, which appear in the other combinations.
AI-reviewed · source checkedIn 1988, which pair were ECOWAS members?
D: Cape Verde and Burkina Faso
Cape Verde and Burkina Faso were both ECOWAS members in 1988. Cameroon, Congo and Zaire were outside ECOWAS, making each of the other pairs unsuitable for that historical comparison.
AI-reviewed · source checked