The constitution that allowed forty-six legislative members was the

The Clifford Constitution of 1922 established a Legislative Council with forty-six members. This constitution, introduced by Governor Sir Hugh Clifford, was a landmark in Nigerian constitutional development because it introduced the elective principle for the first time.

Of the 46 members, only four were elected: three from Lagos and one from Calabar. The remaining members were either official members (colonial administrators who sat by virtue of their office) or nominated unofficial members (appointed by the Governor). Despite the small number of elected seats, the Clifford Constitution was significant because it opened the door to representative politics and stimulated the formation of political parties, notably Herbert Macaulay's Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) in 1923.

The other constitutions had different compositions:

• The Richards Constitution (1946) introduced regionalism with a central Legislative Council and regional Houses of Assembly.
• The Macpherson Constitution (1951) expanded representation and introduced a larger central legislature with elected majorities in the regional houses.
• The Lyttleton Constitution (1954) established a federal structure with separate regional legislatures and a federal legislature.