Structure and Values of the Independence Constitution
The 1963 Constitution was long, detailed and complex due to the fact that it was a compromise document reached by several parties. The attempt to accommodate everyone's interests necessitated an approach that resulted in what has been perceived in some quarters as inherent instability.
Nevertheless, this Constitution had its strengths. It institutionalised, entrenched and legitimised the colonial political and legal legacy. It set the parameters for subsequent politico-legal discourse and served as a symbol of Independence and the creation of a new State. Moreover, it gave the new rulers legitimacy and was meant to forge national unity in a conglomeration of more than 40 ethnic groups.