AN EXAMINATION OF THE EPOCHS IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEGISLATURE IN NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21795139Keywords:
Lawmaking Body Evolution, Nigeria's Constitutional History, Federal Assembly, Parliamentary Sub-groups, Democratic Consolidation, Executive Scrutiny.Abstract
This study offers a comprehensive chronological analysis of how Nigeria's legislative frameworks have evolved, focusing specifically on the federal tier to establish a groundwork for comprehending its operational mechanics and authority as the nation's primary governance organ. Emerging from the era of colonial advisory bodies, the Nigerian legislature has transformed into an essential mechanism for driving governmental transparency and accountability. Under colonial administration, these lawmaking bodies were heavily overshadowed by imperial executives who wielded both legislative and executive functions simultaneously. Such historical executive overreach left a lasting imprint on the nation's modern presidential framework, which advocates for the separation of powers while demanding shared responsibilities among government branches. Furthermore, this piece details the post-independence transition from the British-styled parliamentary model of the First Republic to the presidential architecture introduced during the 1979 Second Republic and carried into the Fourth Republic starting in May 1999. Frequent military incursions into the political landscape since January 1966 profoundly influenced the character and operational culture of this vital democratic pillar. Ultimately, the sluggish utilization of necessary oversight capacities continues to undermine the robustness of Nigeria's democratic practices today.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Franklin Chinagorom Ogbu, Ph.D, Sambo Magaji, Halima Mamza Usman (Author)
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