WAEC Government 2018 past questions

Checked by the Skolra question team · Last updated 15 October 2026

Ten questions from the 2018 WAEC Government paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 50 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.

WAEC Government 2018 questions and answers

1. 1.

   which of these functions is performed by both political parties and pressure groups?

   1. A
      Nominating candidates for elective offices
   2. B
      Political education of citizens
      Correct
   3. C
      Enacting legislation in the parliament
   4. D
      Forming the government after winning elections
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   Answer: B

   Both political parties and pressure groups engage in the political education of citizens. They enlighten the public on political issues, government policies, and citizens' rights, thereby promoting civic awareness and political participation.

2. 2.

   The rule of law can be limited by?

   1. A
      Separation of powers
   2. B
      Declaration of a state of emergency
      Correct
   3. C
      Universal suffrage
   4. D
      Judicial review
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   Answer: B

   A declaration of a state of emergency allows the government to derogate from certain legal rights and suspend normal constitutional procedures in times of crisis. During such periods, the executive may detain persons without trial, restrict movement, and bypass ordinary legal processes, thereby limiting the rule of law.

3. 3.

   A system of administration which allowed traditional rulers to rule their people under the supervision of the British officials in West Africa is?

   1. A
      Indirect Rule
      Correct
   2. B
      Association
   3. C
      Assimilation
   4. D
      Direct Rule
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   Answer: A

   Indirect Rule was the British colonial system under which traditional rulers, chiefs, and emirs administered their own communities while remaining under the ultimate supervision and authority of British Residents and District Officers. Lord Lugard pioneered and championed this approach, applying it most successfully in the Northern Nigerian emirate system, where Fulani emirs served as the primary instrument of colonial administration.

4. 4.

   The principle of separation of powers becomes meaningful when it is linked with the concept of?

   1. A
      Bicameralism
   2. B
      Checks and balances
      Correct
   3. C
      Proportional representation
   4. D
      Universal adult suffrage
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   Answer: B

   Separation of powers alone merely divides governmental functions into three arms; it becomes effective and meaningful only when coupled with checks and balances. Checks and balances give each arm the tools to oversee, restrain, and limit the other two, preventing any one arm from accumulating excessive power and safeguarding individual liberties.

5. 5.

   The class that controls and supervises the activities of the executive class in the civil service is?

   1. A
      the technical class
   2. B
      the professional class
   3. C
      the administrative class
      Correct
   4. D
      the clerical class
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   Answer: C

   In the traditional British-inherited civil service structure, the administrative class occupies the apex of the hierarchy and is responsible for policy formulation, strategic coordination, and the supervision of all lower classes, including the executive class. Administrative class officers — typically the most senior generalist officials — head departments, serve as Permanent Secretaries, and advise ministers directly.

6. 6.

   An electoral system which allows party members to elect candidates for elective offices is called?

   1. A
      primary election
      Correct
   2. B
      by-election
   3. C
      run-off election
   4. D
      general election
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   Answer: A

   A primary election is the internal process through which registered members or delegates of a political party select the candidate who will represent that party in a subsequent general election. It narrows the field within a party before the contest between parties takes place. Nigeria's major parties hold congresses and primaries to nominate their presidential, governorship, and legislative candidates.

7. 7.

   The anonymity of civil servants means that they should not be? 

   1. A
      placed under the supervision and direction of their ministers
   2. B
      publicly identified or held personally accountable for official advice
      Correct
   3. C
      promoted on the basis of merit and seniority
   4. D
      assigned to sensitive or high-profile government ministries
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   Answer: B

   The convention of civil service anonymity holds that career civil servants remain nameless and faceless to the general public. They provide confidential advice to ministers, and the minister alone takes all public credit or blame for policy decisions. This protects civil servants from political controversy and allows them to serve successive governments of different political persuasions with the same loyalty and professionalism.

8. 8.

   By comparison, a state is?

   1. A
      More permanent than a government
      Correct
   2. B
      Less significant than a government
   3. C
      Identical to a government in every respect
   4. D
      Created and dissolved solely by a government
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   Answer: A

   A state is more permanent than a government. The state is an enduring political entity that continues to exist regardless of changes in leadership or administration. A government is just one element of the state — the group of people currently exercising state power — and it changes with elections or other political transitions. The Nigerian state, for example, persists even as successive governments come and go.

9. 9.

   which of these is not a source of revenue for political parties?

   1. A
      Donations and contributions from supporters
   2. B
      Membership dues paid by registered members
   3. C
      Court fines and legal penalties
      Correct
   4. D
      Proceeds from fundraising activities
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   Answer: C

   Court fines and legal penalties are collected by the state and paid into government treasuries; they are not a source of income for political parties.

10. 10.

    communist governments aim at distributing goods and services according to?

    1. A
       The amount of capital owned by each person
    2. B
       Level of political loyalty to the party
    3. C
       Social class and hierarchy
    4. D
       Individual needs
       Correct
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    Answer: D

    The Marxist-communist ideal of distribution is captured in the maxim: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs." Communist governments therefore aim to distribute goods and services based on individual needs, ensuring that every person receives what they require regardless of their contribution to production or their social status.

The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check

Spotted a wrong answer? Tell us from the app or on the contact page and we check it.

Practise all 50 questions we hold from the 2018 paper, on a timed CBT screen

Every question has the answer and an explanation, in the Skolra app.

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