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SS3: GOVERNMENT - 1ST TERM

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  1. Development of Political Parties in Nigeria | Week 1
    5 Topics
  2. Development of Political Parties in Nigeria: Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), The Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) | Week 2
    5 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  3. Development of Political Parties in Nigeria: The National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), Action Group (AG), The Northern People Congress (NPC) | Week 3
    6 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  4. Development of Political Parties in Nigeria: Minority Parties (NEPU, UMBC) | Week 4
    3 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  5. Second Republic Political Parties: NPN, UPN, NPP | Week 5
    6 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  6. Second Republic Political Parties: GNPP, PRP AND NAP | Week 6
    4 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  7. Third Republic & Fourth Republic Political Parties | Week 7
    8 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  8. Major Political Crises in Nigeria: Kano Riot, Census Crisis, Action Group Crisis | Week 8
    3 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  9. Major Political Crises | Week 9
    4 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  10. Military Rule in Nigeria | Week 10
    8 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  11. Military Rule Continues: 1985 - 1993 | Week 11
    4 Topics
    |
    1 Quiz
  12. E-government | Week 12
    3 Topics
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Lesson 9, Topic 3
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Kaduna State Executive and Legislative Crisis of 1981

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Topic Content:

  • Causes of the Kaduna State Executive and Legislative Crisis of 1981
  • Implications of the Kaduna State Executive and Legislative Crisis of 1981

Elections in Kaduna State in 1979 favoured NPN. For Senatorial seats, NPN won three (3) out of five (5) seats, in the House of Representatives it won 21 out of the 33 seats while in the House of Assembly, it won 68 out of the 99 seats, but for the governorship election, Balarabe Musa of PRP won the seat. NPN challenged this in the electoral tribunal but failed.

The Governor of the state, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, pursued policies that were people-friendly.

  • He abolished community tax and cattle tax in the state.
  • He stopped the collection of 8:00 levy imposed on each taxpayer since 1979.
  • He abolished emirate councils and transferred their functions to councils of chiefs.
  • He also approved the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy in respect of Land in the State by both State and Local governments due to complaints of Land ownership and payment of compensation.
  • He set aside 2 Million naira for each Local Government for industrialization, dissolved the boards already in existence and set up new ones.
  • The members of the newly composed boards were the poor.
  • All these changes did not go down well with the rich and NPN members.

Causes of the Kaduna State Executive and Legislative Crisis of 1981:

  • The drastic Policy changes of the governor without due consultation with the powers that be in the state.
  • On four different times, the NPN dominated the House of Assembly and turned down the Governor’s list of nominees for commissioners in the state. The Governor tried to use the Kaduna High Court to compel the House to approve the list of commissioners and failed.
  • On the 7th May 1986, the House started the process of impeachment, by 69 members of the House, on the grounds of gross misconduct in the performance of the functions of his office. This motioned the governor to challenge in the Court of law that some of the signatures were forged. The Court granted his request.
  • But another motion of impeachment was moved on 21st May 1981. This time, the House succeeded.

Implications of the Kaduna State Executive and Legislative Crisis of 1981:

  • If the Governor is not in the same Party as the majority of the legislature, the governor may find it very difficult to administer the State.
  • The law Court, under the 1979 Constitution, had little or no powers in impeachment matters.
  • Balarabe Musa was impeached and removed from office.