JAMB UTMEGovernmentPolitical Concepts2022

Sovereignty means:

AEquality of all citizens
BSupreme authority within a stateCORRECT
CFree elections
DMulti-party system
AI
Toaster Teacher
Why the answer is B, and why the others tempt you.
**The reasoning** Sovereignty is about **power and authority** — specifically, who has the *final say* in a territory. Think of it like this: in your home, your parents have the ultimate authority to make rules. Similarly, a sovereign state has supreme (highest) authority within its borders — no external power can legally override its decisions. The Nigerian government, for example, is sovereign because it makes laws for Nigeria without needing permission from another country. This is the core meaning of sovereignty: **ultimate, independent authority**. **Why the wrong options tempt you** - **A (Equality)** sounds democratic and fair, but that's about *rights*, not *authority*. - **C (Free elections)** and **D (Multi-party system)** describe features of democracy, not sovereignty itself. Even dictatorships can be sovereign states — they still have supreme authority, just not democratically exercised. These options mix up *how* a government operates (democracy) with *whether* it has ultimate power (sovereignty). **Quick takeaway** Sovereignty = **Supreme authority** — the highest power to govern within a territory, free from external control.
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