TRINITY INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE

TRINITY HILLS, OFADA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

BASIC 8 : 2021/2022 3RD TERM CIVIC EDUCATION SCHEME OF WORK

WEEK: TOPIC
1. Election and Voters` Responsibilities.
2. Election and Voters` Responsibilities.
3. Electoral Malpractices /Welcome Test.
4. Observing and Reporting Common Crimes.
5. C. A. T
6. Emergency Management.
7. MID-TERM BREAK
8. The Constitution: meaning, sources, features and importance.
9. The Constitution: types of constitutions.
10. Supremacy of the Constitution.
11. Revision.
12. Examination.
13. Marking & Collation of Results
WEEK 1
ELECTION AND VOTERS` RESPONSIBILITIES

MEANING OF ELECTION
Election is an act of choosing or selecting candidates who will represent the people of a country
in the parliament and in other positions in government.
It is a process of voting for a candidate to represent the people of a country in the various arms of
government. This process is also used in other private establishments such as clubs, associations
etc to choose their representatives who will hold position of authority.
Other concepts associated with election are:

1. VOTER: This is an individual that is tasked with the responsibility of choosing a leader or
representative. Voters are also known as electorates. In Nigeria, he or she must be 18 years
and above and duly registered.
2. VOTING: It refers to the formal process of choosing the individuals to occupy public
positions or offices. Voting is the act of exercising one’s civic duties.

TYPES OF ELECTIONS
A. Direct Election: This is a method by which citizens of a country, who are qualified to vote in
an election, cast their votes directly in order to elect those that will represent them, either in
the legislature or the executive arm of government.

B. Indirect Election : This is a method by which citizens of a country elect representatives

who would make the final decision of choosing leaders on their behalf. It involves the use of
electoral college (this is a body of elected representatives who assist in electing other
political or public officers) .

Direct election is, however, more democratic than the indirect election because the elected
representatives reflect popular choice as all qualified adults are given the opportunity to
participate in the election of their representatives.

C. By-Election : This refers to an election that is conducted to fill a vacant elective post due to
either a recall or resignation or death of an individual holding a given political office.

D. Run-Off Election: This is an election that is re-conducted due to disqualification,

malpractice or annulment of the initial polls or election. It is usually ordered by election
tribunal or court.

E. Referendum: This is a vote by the electorate on issue of public policy such as constitutional
amendment, boundary adjustment, state or local government creation.

F. Plebiscites: This is a ‘yes’/‘no’ vote by people on national issues.

G. Primary Election: This refers to an election conducted within the political party to
determine the flag-bearer of the party in the general election.

ASSIGNMENT
Outline five requirements to be met for citizens to register and vote in Nigeria.

WEEK 2
TOPIC: QUALIFICATIONS FOR REGISTRATION FOR ELECTION IN NIGERIA
Qualification for registration of voters in Nigeria. The person must:-
a- be a citizen;
b- be at least 18 years;
c- be ordinarily resident or working in Nigeria;
d- originate from or be an indigene of the Local Government Area or Ward covered by the
registration centre;
e- present himself to the registration officer of the commission;
f- not be subject to any legal incapability to vote under any laws, rules or regulations in
force in Nigeria; etc.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ELECTION

i- Those seeking election as President, Vice president, Senator must be at least 35 years
old, Governors 30 and House of Assembly or Representatives 25 years old.
ii- You must be a citizen.
iii- You must be a member of a registered political party.
iv- The minimum educational qualification required is School Certificate level or its
equivalent.
v- To vie for an elective post in Nigeria, the candidate must not have any criminal
record.
vi- He must not be insane.
vii- He must be ready to provide the evidence of tax payment for over a period of time.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF VOTERS: Voters must

i- respect the privacy of other voters;
ii- treat electoral officers (i.e. INEC officers) with respect;
iii- know the location of his polling place and its hours of operation;
iv- bring proper identification to the polling station;
v- report any problems or violations of election laws to the supervisor of elections;
vi- make sure that his complete ballot is correct before leaving the polling station;
vii- familiarize himself with candidates;
viii- participate in election by coming out to vote;
ix- follow instructions concerning voting procedures;
x- follow all federal and state voting laws; etc.

VOTERS RIGHTS: These include Right to:

i- register;
ii- vote;
iii- ask questions on electoral procedure;
iv- pre-view a sample ballot;
v- vote in privacy;
vi- freedom from coercion or intimidation;
vii- receive assistance if the voter is physically incapacitated, etc.

PROCEDURE FOR VOTING

Before the date of the election, each qualified voter is expected to have:
i- registered;
ii- gotten a voter‘s card;
iii- goes to the centre where he registered;
iv- gets accredited for voting;
v- given the ballot paper where all political parties and their logos are written, after
accreditation; and
vi- casts his vote freely on his own accord.

STAGE ONE

STAGE TWO

STAGE THREE
Figure 3 and can no longer vote for that day (when ink has been used to mark your finger)

STAGE FOUR

STAGE FIVE
 IMPORTANCE OF ELECTION
i- It provides opportunity for choosing leaders;
ii- It makes change of government easy and peaceful
iii- Regular free and fair elections help in sustaining democracy;
iv- It checks the excesses of leaders;
v- Election provides a forum for political parties to give political education to the
masses through campaigns which unfold their party s manifestos;
vi- It provides opportunity for citizens to participate in government;
vii- It also acts as basis for measuring popularity of government in power; etc.

ASSIGNMENT
1. State four reasons why INEC should carry out voters’ education.
2. Mention four forms of electoral malpractices.
WEEK 3
ELECTORAL MALPRACTICES
Electoral malpractice is an illegal interference with the electoral process. It is also known as
electoral fraud or voters` fraud. It is a deliberate attempt to manipulate the result of an election by
individuals or political parties. Electoral malpractice occurs when the electoral officials, the
parties, and their representatives or the voters do not do their job properly.

FORMS OF ELECTORAL MALPRACTICE

i- Use of fake ballot papers;

ii- Artificial scarcity of electoral materials;
iii- Underage voting;
iv- Thuggery and intimidation;
v- Financial inducement or vote buying;
vi- Fake manifestos;
vii- Disenfranchisement;
viii- Intimidation of voters;
ix- Underage voting;
x- Ballot stuffing;
xi- Miss-recording of votes;
x- Destruction or invalidation of ballot.
xi Snatching of ballot box.

CAUSES OF ELECTORAL MALPRACTICE

i. Crave for power;
ii. Poverty;
iii. Lack of political education;
iv. Bribery and Corruption;
v. Inadequate planning;
vi. Late arrival of materials at voting centres;
vii. Influence of the party in power;
viii. Lack of stiff punishment for offenders;
ix. Selfishness on the part of politicians;
x. Lack of love for the nation;
xi. Dishonesty on the part of greedy politicians;
xii. Political godfathers, etc.

CONSEQUENCES OF ELCTORAL MALPRACTICE

i. It allows bad people to be in government;
ii. It could lead to riot, violence, burning of houses and destruction of properties.
iii. Loss of lives and property.
iv. Bad image. The nation is seen as a corrupt nation and leaders cannot earn the respect
of other nations where democracy thrives successfully.
v. Loss of interest in voting.
vi. The military may see the need of coming back again, which may brings a serious
setback to the growth of democracy.
 SOLUTIONS TO ELECTORAL MALPRACTICE
i. There should be non-interference in electoral matters, especially by the government in
power.
ii. Stakeholders involved in election must abide by the electoral laws.
iii. The judiciary should be impartial and play their role as defender of democracy before,
during and after elections.
iv. There should be adequate voter’s education and orientation.
v. Adequate security should be provided by law enforcement agencies during and after
elections.
vi. Votes should be counted publicly at the polling stations and the results declared
immediately.
vii. The electoral body must be independent, upright and be fair to all parties.
viii. Electoral offenders must be dealt with according to the provisions of the law.
ix. INEC should do a proper planning of the election so that there will not be loopholes for
politicians or their agents to hijack the election.

ASSIGNMENT

1. Identify four ways of reporting common crimes.

2. Mention four importance of observing and reporting common crimes.
WEEK 4

OBSERVING AND REPORTING COMMON CRIMES

Crime is a violation of rules or laws by individuals or group of individuals. Examples
include murder, theft, rape, stealing, dealing in fake drugs, etc.

Observing and reporting crimes are major responsibilities of citizens. We can observe
and report crimes by using the following channels:

1. Telephone call.
2. Informing the media houses.
3. Sending E-mail.
4. Writing anonymous letter.
5. Visiting the police station.
6. Social media.

OBSERVING COMMON CRIMES

Observing a crime requires the following steps:

1. Be patient.
2. Pay attention to your overall surroundings.
3. Be alert to specific incidents around you that may be potentially dangerous.
4. Note the general environment inside, outside, night, day, etc and how it is affecting the
incident.
5. Observe the entire scene.
6. Be aware of people’s reactions.
By organizing your thoughts and methodically recalling and organizing details of an
event, you can become an excellent observer and subsequent effective witness for
investigations.

REPORTING COMMON CRIMES

1. Stay calm.
2. It is important not to panic even when you are scared.
3. Call the Police immediately.
4. Write down what you saw and heard immediately.
5. Tell the Police what happened, when, where and who was involved.
6. Describe the suspect, sex, race, age, height, weight, hair, colour and distinctive
characteristics.
7. Describe any vehicle involved.
8. You may be asked to make a complaint or testify in court.
 APPROPRIATE RESPONSES TO CRIMES
1. Monitoring and reporting incidents of crimes to the Police.
2. Raising awareness and campaigning for action to the challenges of crimes.
3. Cooperating with the Police during investigation and if need be, serve as witness in law
court.
4. Improving community – Police relations by creating good communication channels.
5. There must be effective law enforcement and Police response to crimes.
6. Gathering accurate crime information and providing appropriate support services to
crimes and crime victims.
7. There should be community support for security matters.
8. There should be regular meetings and round table discussion on how to combat crime.
9. Formation of vigilante groups to keep vigils and combat crimes.

BENEFITS OF OBSERVING AND REPORTING COMMON

CRIMES
1. Observing and reporting crimes is the most effective way to prevent crime.
2. It provides strong evidence against culprits in court.
3. It reduces the fear of crime in the community.
4. It improves crime reporting by the citizens.
5. It increases surveillance in the community and helps citizens to report any suspicious
moves or activities.
6. Adequate security of lives and property will promote development in the community.
7. Giving valuable information to security agents help them to function excellently.
WEEK 6

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

An emergency is a situation generated by the occurrence of an event that requires immediate

attention. It is an event that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property and the environment.

Emergency management is the system process and creation of plans through which the
negative impacts of hazards are minimized or reduced.

Events covered by emergency management include acts of terrorism, fire outbreak,

earthquakes, public disorder, flooding, accidents, building collapse etc.

TYPES OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

1. The planning aspect: This entails the level of preparedness by the government or the
agencies in terms of availability of equipment and proper training of personnel towards
addressing emergencies.
2. Prompt response: This stage implies the quick response of personnel, deployment of
equipment and resources to areas of emergencies.
3. Recovery aspect: At this stage, efforts are channeled towards bringing the affected area to
the initial state and taking some measures to minimize loss or pains of the victims.

WAYS OF RESPONDING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

1. Remain calm.
2. Do not panic.
3. Be in a safe position to offer assistance.
4. Check for bleeding.
5. Provide fist aid.
6. Ask for help by calling emergency management agencies.

MAJOR AGENCIES INVOLVED IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Many countries operate the following core emergency services. These are:

1. The Police.
2. The Fire Service.
3. The Emergency Medical Service.
4. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). At the state level we have (SEMA).
5. The Red Cross.
6. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

ASSIGNMENT

1. Outline four sources of constitution.

2. List four features of constitution.

WEEK 8
CONSTITUTION
A constitution is regarded as a body of rules, regulations, laws and principles that regulates the
affairs of a country. It is a collection of fundamental laws, principles, rules and regulations that
show how a political entity is governed. It can also be defined as the basic law that defines the
structure of government, rights and duties of citizens.

SOURCES OF CONSTITUTION
i- Act of parliament;
ii- Constitutional conferences;
iii- Judicial precedents;
iv- Custom and tradition;
v- International laws; and
vi- Conventions.

FEATURES OF CONSTITUTION
i- Preamble or introduction;
ii- A body of rules;
iii- Purpose and objectives;
iv- Type of political system
v- Structure of government;
vi- Citizens` rights;
vii- Process of acquiring citizenship;
viii- The nature of the constitution; and
ix- Process of amending the constitution.

IMPORTANCE OF CONSTITUTION
i- Constitution is adopted in a country to regulate the activities of the government and
individuals;
ii- It also states the various rights of the citizens and their obligations to the state with a
procedure to seek for redress when their rights are violated;
iii- It states clearly the organs of government in a country and their functions in the
country;
iv- It ensures political stability in a country.
v- It also upholds the principle of rule of law and justice in the country where due
process is observed in the political system;
vi- It also spells out the system of government and political ideology adopted and
operated in a country;
vii- It also ensures that the government does not involve in the abuse or misuse of power
which may lead to victimization and intimidation of the citizens;
viii- It also helps in promoting peace, law, order and tranquility in the state with progress
political, economic and social life of the people.

ASSIGNMENT
Identify and explain four types of constitution.
WEEK 9
TYPES OF CONSTITUTION
The types of constitution are:
i- Written constitution;
ii- Unwritten constitution;
iii- Rigid constitution;
iv- Flexible constitution;
v- Federal constitution;
vi- Unitary constitution;
vii- Confederal constitution.

WRITTEN CONSTITUTION
A written constitution is written down or can be found in a series of documents. It is a set of
rules, regulations and laws that is codified or documented.

Features :
i- it is presented in written form;
ii- it creates full awareness;
iii- it is suitable for large country;
iv- it shows clear preamble; and
v- it is often rigid.

UNWRITTEN CONSTITUTION
An unwritten constitution is the type in which most of the rules are not written and cannot be
found in a single book. Examples of countries with unwritten constitution are Israel, Britain etc.

Features :
i- it is not codified in documented form;
ii- it is flexible;
iii- it does not give room for easy reference;

RIGID CONSTITUTION
A rigid constitution is one whose amendment procedure is lengthy and difficult. It is not easy to
amend or adjust to reflect current happenings in a country.

Features :
i- it is not easily amended;
ii- it is not suitable for emergency;
iii- it does not encourage hasty and rash decision making; and
iv- it promotes political stability.

FLEXIBLE CONSTITUTION
A flexible constitution by its nature and provision is one that is easy to amend. Hence, changes
can easily be effected in the constitution.

Features :
i- it is easy to amend;
ii- it is suitable for emergency;
iii- it is mostly unwritten form; and
iv- it encourages political instability.
 FEDERAL CONSTITUTION
A federal constitution is regarded as one which is adopted by a federation which permits the
sharing and distribution of political powers between the central government and the component
units.

Features :
i- it provides for the division of powers among the tiers of the government
ii- it is usually written;
iii- it promotes unity by harmonizing all sectional groups in the country;
iv- it provides for greater political participation by the citizens;
v- it is usually rigid in nature; and
vi- it also ensures that the government is brought nearer to the people.

UNITARY CONSTITUTION
A unitary constitution is one which encourages the concentration of political powers in the
central government. In other words, the constitution does not make provision for power sharing
to any unit.

Features :
i- it usually exists in an unwritten form;
ii- it recognizes the central government as supreme and strong;
iii- it is not suitable for large countries;
iv- it is often flexible and easy to amend;
v- it gives room for unity and absence of uneven development;

CONFEDERAL CONSTITUTION
In this type of constitution the component states are strong and supreme while the central
government is weak. The major political powers to make decision and implement policies reside
with the component states.

Features :
i- it delegates the major constitutional powers to the autonomous states;
ii- the central authority is weak;
iii- the autonomous states have the right to succeed;
iv- each component state maintains their armed forces; and
v- it makes the citizens to obey and give loyalty to only their respective state.

ASSIGNMENT
State six benefits of supremacy of the constitution.

WEEK 10
SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION
Supremacy of the constitution is the predominance of the constitution over all other laws in a
country. Supremacy of the constitution is the recognition of the constitution as the most
important law of the land. In other words, the constitution is to be respected and obeyed by all
citizens regardless of their status, origin or religion
 Supremacy of the constitution emphasizes that no individual is above the law. As far as the law
is concerned the actions and conduct of every person is regulated by the law. More so, those at
the helm of affairs operate according to constitutional provisions.

Supremacy of the constitution connotes that the constitution is the highest and supreme law of
the land. Supremacy of the law frowns against arbitrary use of power and authority. Supremacy
of the constitution is one of the basic features of the rule of law.

REASONS FOR THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION

1. Supremacy of the constitution ensures good governance in state.

2. It portrays the constitution as the basic and highest law of the land.

3. It promotes stability, peace and development in a country.

4. It helps to define the structure, functions and relationship among the tiers of government.

5. It prevents the abuse of power by tyrannical rulers.

6. It promotes the welfare of the citizens.

7. Supremacy of the constitution protects the rights of the citizens.