JAMB Government 2005

26 reviewed questions with answers and explanations.

Practice selection: full-paper coverage has not been confirmed.

Question 2

Nigeria supports the South-South cooperation as a foreign policy objective for mutual understanding among

  1. nations south of the equator
  2. sub-Saharan African countries
  3. developing countries
  4. Asian and sub-Saharan African countries
Answer and explanation

C: developing countries

South-South cooperation refers to collaboration among developing countries for shared development objectives. It is not limited to countries geographically south of the equator.

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Question 4

The Nigerian-Cameroon crisis over the Bakassi Peninsula occurred owing to the interpretation of the treaty of 1913 and the

  1. resolution of the OAU
  2. Maroua Accord
  3. decision of the ECOWAS Tribunal
  4. decision of the International Court of Justice
Answer and explanation

B: Maroua Accord

The dispute involved the 1913 Anglo-German boundary agreement and the 1975 Maroua Declaration on the maritime boundary. The International Court later examined these instruments in its judgment.

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Question 7

Which of the following served as the Secretary-General of the United Nations?

  1. Ibrahim Gambari
  2. Javier Perez de Cuellar
  3. Joseph Garba
  4. Mohammed El-Baradai
Answer and explanation

B: Javier Perez de Cuellar

Javier Perez de Cuellar served as United Nations Secretary-General from 1982 to 1991. The other named diplomats and international officials did not hold that office.

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Question 13

Nigeria's voting at the United Nations is guided primarily by

  1. her concern for Africa
  2. her national interests
  3. the cold war
  4. world peace
Answer and explanation

B: her national interests

A states national interest is the broad framework guiding its diplomatic choices, including UN votes. Regional concerns and peace objectives may form parts of that wider interest.

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Question 14

The political party formed in 1923 by Herbert Macaulay was

  1. Nigerian Youth Movement
  2. National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons
  3. United National Independent Party
  4. Nigerian National Democratic Party
Answer and explanation

D: Nigerian National Democratic Party

Herbert Macaulay founded the Nigerian National Democratic Party in 1923. It became an important organization in early Lagos electoral politics.

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Question 15

The first federal constitution in Nigeria was the

  1. Lyttleton Constitution
  2. Independence Constitution
  3. Macpherson Constitution
  4. Clifford Constitution
Answer and explanation

A: Lyttleton Constitution

The 1954 Lyttleton Constitution established Nigerias fully federal constitutional structure. It preceded the Independence Constitution of 1960.

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Question 17

The commission established to handle the electoral activities in the Second Republic of Nigeria was

  1. FEDECO
  2. NEC
  3. INEC
  4. NECON
Answer and explanation

A: FEDECO

The Federal Electoral Commission, known as FEDECO, conducted the elections associated with Nigeria’s Second Republic. INEC belongs to the later transition to the Fourth Republic.

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Question 20

The head of the Nigerian judiciary is the

  1. Solicitor-General of the Federation
  2. President of the Court of Appeal
  3. Chief Justice of Nigeria
  4. Attorney-General and Minister of Justice
Answer and explanation

C: Chief Justice of Nigeria

The Chief Justice of Nigeria heads the Supreme Court and chairs the National Judicial Council. The Attorney-General is an executive law officer, not the head of the judiciary.

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Question 22

Under the 1999 Constitution, the appointment of ministers and ambassadors must be ratified by the

  1. National Council of States
  2. Presidency
  3. Senate
  4. House of Representatives
Answer and explanation

C: Senate

The 1999 Constitution makes ministerial and ambassadorial appointments subject to Senate confirmation. This gives the legislature a check on specified presidential appointments.

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Question 24

The federal legislature in Nigeria under the 1999 Constitution is composed of

  1. 108 senators and 350 members of the House of Representatives
  2. 109 senators and 350 members of the House of Representatives
  3. 100 senators and 250 members of the House of Representatives
  4. 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives
Answer and explanation

D: 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives

The 1999 Constitution provides three senators for each of 36 states and one for the Federal Capital Territory: 109 in total. The House of Representatives has 360 members.

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Question 27

The principle of checks and balances empowers the judiciary to

  1. invalidate the actions of the other arms
  2. administer the criminal justice system
  3. abrogate the law
  4. apply the law
Answer and explanation

A: invalidate the actions of the other arms

Judicial review allows courts to invalidate government action that exceeds lawful or constitutional authority. This is a check on other branches, not an unrestricted power to cancel any policy the judges dislike.

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Question 28

In a first-past-the-post electoral system, a candidate is declared the winner when the candidate

  1. records the highest number of votes cast
  2. obtains a two-thirds majority of the votes cast
  3. obtains one-third of the votes cast
  4. scores the aggregates of the opponent
Answer and explanation

A: records the highest number of votes cast

First-past-the-post awards the seat to the candidate with more votes than any other candidate. An absolute majority or a two-thirds share is not normally required.

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Question 29

The major function of civil service is

  1. providing relevant information on government
  2. keeping records of the activities of government
  3. promoting the interest of civil servants
  4. advising government and implementing its policies
Answer and explanation

D: advising government and implementing its policies

The civil service advises government and puts approved policies into practice. Record-keeping and providing information support that broader responsibility rather than replacing it.

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Question 32

The method used to determine the possible outcome of an electoral contest is

  1. press review
  2. plebiscite
  3. opinion poll
  4. referendum
Answer and explanation

C: opinion poll

An opinion poll samples voters' preferences to estimate a possible election outcome. It is an estimate subject to sampling and other errors, not the election itself.

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Question 33

On the basis of its structure, a political party can be classified as indirect if

  1. its membership is acquired through other groups
  2. it contests elections by proxy
  3. it campaigns for votes through agents
  4. it controls government indirectly
Answer and explanation

A: its membership is acquired through other groups

An indirect party structure links individuals to the party through affiliated organizations such as unions or associations. It concerns how membership is acquired, not campaigning by proxy.

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Question 34

The final stage in the process of enacting legislation is

  1. final reading
  2. assent
  3. notification
  4. guillotine
Answer and explanation

B: assent

Assent is the formal final step by which a bill completes the ordinary enactment process. A final reading is a legislative stage before assent, subject to any constitutional alternative procedure.

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Question 35

How does the president relieve a minister of appointment in a presidential system?

  1. In consultation with the legislature
  2. After serving a full tenure
  3. In consultation with the judiciary
  4. By unilateral action
Answer and explanation

D: By unilateral action

Ministers normally serve at the president's pleasure in a presidential system. The president can dismiss a minister without a parliamentary vote of no confidence, subject to applicable constitutional rules.

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Question 36

The study of government essentially facilitates the understanding of the

  1. functioning of the entire social formation
  2. organization of the executive arm of government
  3. governance of human societies
  4. observance of fundamental human rights
Answer and explanation

C: governance of human societies

Government as a field of study examines how human societies organize public authority and make collective decisions. It covers institutions, political processes and governance beyond just the executive branch.

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Question 37

In the Judicial administration, the term " bench" refers to the

  1. registrars
  2. judges
  3. lawyers
  4. litigants
Answer and explanation

B: judges

The bench is the collective term for judges or the judicial office. Lawyers appearing before courts belong to the bar, while registrars and litigants perform different roles.

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Question 38

Serfs are the dominated class under

  1. capitalism
  2. socialism
  3. fascism
  4. feudalism
Answer and explanation

D: feudalism

Serfs were dependent agricultural workers within feudal society, owing services or dues to a lord. Their restricted status was tied to the land rather than modern wage employment.

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Question 39

The ultimate authority in a state is

  1. sovereignty
  2. power
  3. influence
  4. legitimacy
Answer and explanation

A: sovereignty

Sovereignty denotes the state's ultimate authority within its constitutional and territorial order. Power describes capacity more generally, while legitimacy concerns acceptance of the right to rule.

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Question 42

An unwritten Constitution is

  1. entirely based on case laws
  2. completely sourced from parliamentary law
  3. partially written and based on convention
  4. completely unwritten and based on convention
Answer and explanation

C: partially written and based on convention

An uncodified constitution draws on written statutes and decisions as well as conventions. Calling it unwritten means it is not gathered into one authoritative constitutional document, not that every rule is unwritten.

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Question 45

Under a parliamentary system of government, the cabinet holds office at the pleasure of the

  1. opposition
  2. electorate
  3. head of state
  4. legislature
Answer and explanation

D: legislature

A parliamentary cabinet normally remains in office while it retains the confidence of the legislature. Losing that confidence can require resignation or an election under the applicable constitutional rules.

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Question 47

The first successful disengagement of the military from politics in Nigeria was carried out by the government of

  1. Abdulsalami Abubakar
  2. Murtala/Obasanjo
  3. Buhari/Idiagbon
  4. Ibrahim Babangida
Answer and explanation

B: Murtala/Obasanjo

The Murtala–Obasanjo transition programme culminated in the transfer to elected civilian rule in 1979. Abdulsalami Abubakar conducted a later transition in 1999.

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Question 48

In the 1979 governorship elections, the Great Nigeria People's Party won in

  1. Sokoto and Bauchi States
  2. Borno and Gongola States
  3. Borno and Kaduna States
  4. Gongola and Sokoto States
Answer and explanation

B: Borno and Gongola States

The GNPP won Borno and Gongola in the 1979 elections, with Mohammed Goni and Abubakar Barde respectively. These results refer to the opening elections of the Second Republic.

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Question 49

In Nigeria's local government structure in 2005, traditional rulers primarily played

  1. an advisory role
  2. an executive role
  3. a judicial role
  4. a legislative role
Answer and explanation

A: an advisory role

Traditional rulers primarily provided advice and community leadership alongside the formal local government system. They were not the elected local councils' executive or legislative organs.

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