Ben Nwabueze is a Nigerian constitutional lawyer, academic, and elder statesman. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential constitutional scholars in Africa. Nwabueze has written extensively on constitutional law and has played a key role in shaping the constitutional development of Nigeria. He is also a strong advocate for constitutionalism, democracy, and good governance.
Nwabueze was born in 1934 in Awka, Nigeria. He studied law at the University of London and Oxford, where he was awarded a doctorate in jurisprudence. He returned to Nigeria in 1963 and began teaching law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
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Nwabueze has held several prominent positions in Nigeria, including:
Attorney-General of the Federation (1975-1979)
Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee (1977-1978)
Member of the Presidential Advisory Council (1999-2007)
Nwabueze is the author of numerous books and articles on constitutional law, including:
Constitutionalism in the Emergent States (1973)
Presidentialism vs. Parliamentarism in Nigeria (1979)
Constitutionalism and the Separation of Powers (1982)
The Presidential Constitution of Nigeria (1983)
Constitutionalism and Democracy in Nigeria (1993)
Nwabueze received numerous awards and honours, including the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) and the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR). He is also a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.
Nwabueze is a towering figure in Nigerian legal and political circles. He has dedicated his life to the study and promotion of constitutionalism, democracy, and good governance. His work has had a profound impact on the development of Nigeria’s constitution and its political system.
He was 94.
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