By Section 319 of the Nigerian Constitution, the most correct, accurate, and proper manner to cite the Constitution is:CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, 1999.The citation of the Nigerian Constitution by lawyer colleagues and the general public as the 1999 CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA (AS AMENDED 2011) &nbsp;has no legal backing, since Section 319 has specifically provided for how the Constitution should be called or cited.I know many might argue that the reason for the latter citation is because of the amendments effected in the Constitution in 2011 and for the purpose of emphasis. This might sound understandable but if the Constitution wanted itself to be cited in the latter manner, the amendment would have reflected the change in the name of the Constitution in 2011.In 2020, the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990 (CAMA) was amended and section 870 of the new Act specifically provides that the said Act should be cited as:COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, 2020.The drafters of the new CAMA specially amended the citation section, changing the year 1990 to 2020, which the drafters in 2011 forgot to do.Unless Section 319 of the Constitution is amended, the most accurate and correct manner to cite the Constitution is CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, 1999 and not 1999 CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA (AS AMENDED 2011).One would have imagined that the drafters of the amendments in 2011 should have envisioned this problem. It is still not late for the said section to be amended.SANI Sa'ad Bunza, Esq. Founder, The Legal Platform&nbsp; sanisaadbunza@gmail.com

HOW TO ACCURATELY CITE THE NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION

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