Why did the nationalists criticize post 1945 Constitutions in British West African Colonies?

Answer Details

After the Second World War, Britain introduced new constitutions in her West African colonies (for example the Richards Constitution of 1946 in Nigeria and the Burns Constitution of 1946 in the Gold Coast). Nationalists criticised these post-1945 constitutions for the following reasons:

1. Lack of adequate consultation: The constitutions, especially the Richards Constitution, were imposed on the people without genuine consultation with the nationalists and the population, who resented being handed a constitution they had no part in framing.
2. Retention of colonial control (official majority and reserved powers): Real power was still concentrated in the hands of the Governor and colonial officials. The Governor retained reserve and veto powers, so the constitutions did not transfer meaningful authority to Nigerians or Africans.
3. Limited African representation and the nominated principle: Africans remained under-represented, and many members were nominated by the Governor rather than elected by the people, so the legislatures were not truly representative.
4. Very restricted franchise: The right to vote was limited by high property and income qualifications and confined to a few towns, so the great majority of the people had no vote.
5. No real responsible government: The constitutions gave Africans no control over the executive; there was no ministerial responsibility, and the executive council was not answerable to the legislature.
6. Emphasis on regionalism and division: The Richards Constitution divided Nigeria into three regions, which nationalists condemned as a device to divide the country along ethnic lines and weaken the united nationalist front.
7. Slow pace towards self-government: The constitutions made no clear provision for early self-government or independence, and their reforms fell far short of nationalist demands.

Because of these defects, nationalist agitation forced Britain to revise the constitutions, leading to the more liberal Macpherson (1951) and later constitutions.