Power, Authority, Legitimacy,Sovereignty;

Society, State, Nation, Nation-State;

Political Processes;Political Socialization, Political Participation, Political Culture.

2. Forms of Government:
Monarchy, Aristocracy, Oligarchy, Autocracy, Republicanism, Democracy definitions, features, merits and demerits.

3. Arms of Government:
The Legislature – types, structure, functions, powers;

The Executive – types, functions, powers;

The Judiciary – functions, powers, components.

Their relationships

4. Structures of Governance:
Unitary – features, reasons for adoption, merits and demerits

Federal – features, reasons for adoption, merits and demerits

Confederal – features, reasons for adoption, merits and demerits.

5. Systems of Governance:
Presidential, Parliamentary and Monarchical.

6. Political Ideologies:
Communalism, Feudalism, Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, Totalitarianism, Fascism, Nazism.

7. Constitution:
Meaning, Sources, Functions, Types – Written, Unwritten, Rigid and Flexible.

8. Principles of Democratic Government:
Ethics and Accountability in Public Office, Separation of Power, Checks and Balances, Individual and Collective Responsibility, Constitutionalism, Rule of Law, Representative Government.

9. Processes of Legislation:
Legislative Enactments – acts, edicts, bye-laws, delegated legislation, decrees.

10. Citizenship:
Meaning, types;

Citizenship rights;

Dual citizenship, renunciation, deprivation;

Duties and obligations of citizens;

Duties and obligations of the state.

11. The Electoral Process:
Suffrage – evolution, types;

Election – types, ingredients of free and fair election;

Electoral System – types, advantages and disadvantages of each;

Electoral Commission – functions, problems.

12. Political Parties and Party Systems:
Political parties – Definition, Organization, functions.

Party Systems – Definition, organization, functions.

13. Pressure Groups:
Definition, types, functions and modes of operation.

Differences between Pressure Groups and Political Parties.

14. Public Opinion:
Meaning, formation and measurement.

Functions and limitations.

15. The Civil Service:
Definition, characteristics, functions, structure, control and problems.

Candidates should be able to:
i. identify the duties and obligations of the various arms of government and their agencies;
ii. relate each arm to its functions;
iii. appreciate how these arms interrelate.

Candidates should be able to:
i. compare the various political structures of governance.

Candidates should be able to:
i. distinguish between the different systems of governance.

Candidates should be able to:
i. differentiate between the major political ideologies;
ii. contrast modes of production.

Candidates should be able to:
i. Define and identify sources and functions of constitutions;
ii. compare the nature of constitutions.

Candidates should be able to:
i. identify the principles of democratic government;
ii. determine the application of these principles;

Candidates should be able to:
i. analyze the processes involved in the making of laws.

Candidates should be able to:
i. differentiate between the various methods of acquiring citizenship;
ii. specify the rights and responsibilities of a citizen;
iii. assess the obligations of the state.

Candidates should be able to:
i. distinguish the different types of franchise
ii. identify and explain the types of electoral systems
iii. analyze the various electoral processes.

Candidates should be able to:
i. assess the role of political parties;
ii. distinguish between types of party systems.

Candidates should be able to:
i. evaluate the functions and the modus operandi of pressure groups;
ii. distinguish between pressure groups and political parties.

Candidates should be able to:
i. compare methods of assessing public opinion;
ii. assess the functions of public opinion;
iii. analyze the limitations of public opinion.

Candidates should be able to:
i. analyze the significance of civil service in governance.

2. Imperialist Penetration:
The British process of acquisition – trade, missionary activities, company rule, crown colony, protectorate;

The British colonial administrative policy – direct and indirect rule;

The French colonial administrative policy – assimilation and association;

Impact of British colonial rule- economic, political, socio-cultural;

Comparison of British and French colonial administration.

3. Process of Decolonization:
Nationalism – Meaning, Types;

Nationalist Movements – emergence, goals, strategies;

Nationalist Leaders – Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Ladipo Solanke, Aminu Kano, J. S. Tarka, Tafawa Balewa and others;

Emergence of nationalist parties;

Influence of external factors.

4. Constitutional Development in Nigeria:
Hugh Clifford Constitution (1922)

Arthur Richards Constitution (1946)

John Macpherson Constitution (1951)

Oliver Lyttleton Constitution (1954)

Independence Constitution (1960)

Their features, merits and demerits.

5. Post – Independence Constitutions:
1963, 1979, 1989 and 1999- characteristics and shortcomings.

6. Institutions of Government in the Post – Independence Nigeria:
The Legislative – structure, functions and working.

The Executive – structure, functions and workings.

The Judiciary – structure, functions and workings.

7. Public Commissions Established by the 1979 and Subsequent Constitutions:
The Civil Service Commission, the Public Complaints Commission, Electoral Commissions, National Boundary Commission and others – objectives functions and problems

8. Political Parties and Party Politics in Post-Independence Nigeria:
First Republic

Second Republic

Third Republic

Fourth Republic – Evolution, membership spread, structure etc.

9. The Structure and Workings of Nigerian Federalism:
Rationale for a Federal System;

Tiers of government and their relationship;

Creation of States – 1963, 1967, 1976, 1987, 1991, 1996;

Problems of Nigerian Federalism – census, revenue allocation, conflicts etc. solutions e.g. Federal character, etc.

10. Public Corporations and Parastatals:
Definition, types, purpose and functions;

Finance, control and problems;

Deregulation, privatization, commercialization – objectives, features, merits and demerits;

Comparison between public corporations and parastatals.

11. Local Government:
Local government administration prior to 1976;

Features of local government reforms (1976, 1989) – structure, functions, finance and inter-governmental relations;

Traditional rulers and local governments;

Problems of local government administration in Nigeria.

12. The Military in Nigerian Politics:
Factors that led to military intervention;

Structure of military regimes;

Impact of military rule – political, e.g creation of states, introduction of unitary system (Unification Decree NO. 34) etc. economic, e.g SAP, etc.

Processes of military disengagement

Candidates should be able to:
i. evaluate the process of decolonization;
ii. assess the roles of nationalist leaders and parties;
iii. assess the impact of external forces and ideas (Pan-Africanism, Back-to-Africa Movements, Second World War etc).

Candidates should be able to:
i. compare the various constitutional developments.

Candidates should be able to:
i. assess the workings of the various constitutions.

Candidates should be able to:
i. evaluate the operations of the arms of government and their agencies, e.g the civil service, armed forces, police, courts and others.

Candidates should be able to:
i. evaluate the operations of public commissions;
ii. assess the problems of the Public Commissions and their constraints.

Candidates should be able to:
i. contrast political processes in the republics;
ii. evaluate the ideologies, structure and composition of the political parties.

Candidates should be able to:
i. examine the workings of Nigerian federalism;
ii. identify its problems;
iii. evaluate the corrective measure adopted.

Candidates should be able to:
i. examine the operations of public corporations and parastatals;
ii. identify the processes involved in privatization and commercialization;
iii. assess the economic importance of privatization and commercialization.

Candidates should be able to:
i. trace the evolution and structure of local government;
ii. identify the major problems faced by local governments.

Candidates should be able to:
i. evaluate the reasons given for military intervention;
ii. assess the achievements of military rule;
iii. determine the conditions that necessitated withdrawal from governance.

Relations with developing countries, e.g the Technical Aid Corps (TAC), etc.

Nigeria’s Non-Alignment Policy.

3. Relations with African Countries:
Africa as the “centerpiece” of Nigeria’s foreign policy – guiding principles, implementation and implications;

NEPAD – origin, objectives and implications.

4. Nigeria in International Organizations
The United Nations;

The Commonwealth;

The Organization of African Unity;

The African Union;

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS);

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Candidates should be able to:
i. evaluate the role of Nigeria in continental affairs;
ii. assess the role of NEPAD in developing Africa.

Candidates should be able to:
i. analyze the dynamics of Nigeria’s involvement in international organizations;
ii. assess their contribution to the development of Nigeria.

Commonwealth;

OPEC;

UNO;

African Petroleum Producers Association;

– Origin, objectives, structure, functions, achievements, problems and prospects of these organizations.