Federal government of Nigeria

The federal government of Nigeria is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, executive, and judicial, whose powers are vested by the Constitution of Nigeria in the National Assembly, the President, and the federal courts, including the Supreme Court, respectively.

Federal Government of Nigeria

Coat of arms of Nigeria
Formation	1963 (1963)
Founding document	Constitution of Nigeria
Jurisdiction	Nigeria
Legislative branch
Legislature	National Assembly
Meeting place	National Assembly Complex
Executive branch
Leader	President of Nigeria
Headquarters	Aso Rock Presidential Villa
Main organ	Cabinet
Judicial branch
Court	Supreme Court
Seat	Abuja, FCT

Nigeria is a federal republic, with executive power exercised by the president. The president is the head of state, the head of government, and the head of a multi-party system. Nigerian politics takes place within a framework of a federal, presidential, representative democratic republic, in which executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is held by the real government and the two chambers of the legislature: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Together, the two chambers make up the law-making body in Nigeria, called the National Assembly, which serves as a check on the executive arm of government. The highest judiciary arm of government in Nigeria is the Supreme Court of Nigeria which was created after independence and also practices Baron de Montesquieu's theory of the separation of powers[1] based on the United States system and also practises checks and balances.[2]

The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Nigeria a "hybrid regime" in 2019.[3]

Legal system

The law of Nigeria is based on the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, and British common law (due to the long history of British colonial influence). The common law in the legal system is similar to common-law systems used in England and Wales and other Commonwealth countries. The constitutional framework for the legal system is provided by the Constitution of Nigeria.

• English Law, which is derived from its colonial past with Britain;
• Common law, case law development since colonial independence;
• Customary law, which is derived from indigenous traditional norms and practices;
• Sharia law, law used in some states in the northern region.

There is a judicial branch, with the Supreme Court regarded as the highest court of the Nation.

Legislation as a source of Nigerian law

The two fundamental sources of Nigerian law through legislation are[4]

(1) Acts of British parliament, popularly referred to as statutes of general application.

(2) Local legislation (comprising enactments of the Nigerian legislatures from colonial period to date). There were other sources which though subsumed in Nigerian legislations were distinctly imported into the Nigerian legal systems. They are called the criminal and penal codes of Nigeria.

Nigerian statutes as sources of Nigerian law

Nigerian legislation may be classified as follows. The colonial era until 1960 , post independence legislation 1960-1966 , the military era 1966-1999.

The post independence legislation 1960-1966

The grant of independence to Nigeria was a milestone in the political history of the country. This period witnessed the consolidation of political gains made during the colonial era. Politicians genuinely focused their lapses in the polity. It achieved for herself a republican status by shaking off the last vestiges of colonial authority. However, despite the violent violation of its provisions, the constitution remained the subsequent administrations (military or otherwise).

Military regime, 1966-1999

The breakdown of law and order which occurred in the period under review would not be attributed to any defect in the Nigerian legal system. Corrupt practices both in the body politic and all aspects of Nigerian life eroded efficiency and progress. There were 8 coups generally five were successful and 3 were unsuccessful.

Executive branch

Seal of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The president is elected through universal suffrage. He or she is both the chief of state and head of government, heading the Federal Executive Council, or cabinet.

The executive branch is divided into Federal Ministries, each headed by a minister appointed by the president. The president must include at least one member from each of the 36 states in his cabinet. The President's appointments are confirmed by the Senate of Nigeria. In some cases, a federal minister is responsible for more than one ministry (for example, Environment and Housing may be combined), or a minister may be assisted by one or more ministers of State.[5] Each ministry also has a Permanent Secretary, who is a senior civil servant.[6]

The ministries are responsible for various parastatals (government-owned corporations), such as universities, the National Broadcasting Commission, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. However, some parastatals are the responsibility of the Office of the Presidency, such as the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Federal Civil Service Commission.[7]

Legislative branch

House of Representatives of Nigeria.

The National Assembly of Nigeria has two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives is presided over by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. It has 360 members, who are elected for four-year terms in single-seat constituencies. The Senate, which has 109 members, is presided over by the President of the Senate. 108 members are elected for four-year terms in 36 three-seat constituencies, which correspond to the country's 36 states. One member is selected in the single-seat constituency of the federal capital.

OFFICE	NAME	TERM
President of the Senate	Ahmed Lawan	2019-
Speaker of the House of Representatives	Femi Gbajabiamila	2019-

Judicial branch

The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the Court of Appeals, the High Courts, and other trial courts such as the Magistrates', Customary, Sharia and other specialised courts.[8] The National Judicial Council serves as an independent executive body, insulating the judiciary from the executive arm of government.[9] The Supreme Court is presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and thirteen associate justices, who are appointed by the President of Nigeria on the recommendation() of the National Judicial Council. These justices are subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Office	Office holder	Assumed office
Chief Justice	Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed	2019
Associate Justice	Sylvester Umaru Onu	1993
Associate Justice	Umaru Atu Kalgo	1998
Associate Justice	G. A. Oguntade	2004
Associate Justice	Sunday A. Akintan	2004
Associate Justice	Mahmud Mohammed	2005
Associate Justice
Associate Justice	Ikechi Francis Ogbuagu	2005
Associate Justice	F. F. Tabai	1999
Associate Justice	Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad	2007

Political parties and elections

Presidential elections of Nigeria, 2015

Buhari			53.96%
Jonathan			44.96%
Margin: 2,571,759

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Muhammadu Buhari	All Progressives Congress	15,424,921	53.96
	Goodluck Jonathan	People's Democratic Party	12,853,162	44.96
	Adebayo Ayeni	African Peoples Alliance	53,537	0.19
	Ganiyu Galadima	Allied Congress Party of Nigeria	40,311	0.14
	Sam Eke	Citizens Popular Party	36,300	0.13
	Rufus Salau	Alliance for Democracy	30,673	0.11
	Mani Ahmad	African Democratic Congress	29,665	0.10
	Allagoa Chinedu	Peoples Party of Nigeria	24,475	0.09
	Martin Onovo	National Conscience Party	24,455	0.09
	Tunde Anifowose-Kelani	Accord Alliance	22,125	0.08
	Chekwas Okorie	United Progressive Party	18,220	0.06
	Comfort Sonaiya	KOWA Party	13,076	0.05
	Godson Okoye	United Democratic Party	9,208	0.03
	Ambrose Albert Owuru	Hope Party	7,435	0.03
Invalid/blank votes			844,519	–
Total			29,432,083	100
Registered voters/turnout			67,422,005	43.65
Source: INEC

House of Representatives

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	All Progressives Congress			100
	People's Democratic Party			125
	Other parties			10
Invalid/blank votes			–	–	–
Total				233	–
Registered voters/turnout				–	–
Source: Reuters Nigeria Tribune

Senate

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	All Progressives Congress			60	19
	People's Democratic Party			70	15
	Labour Party
Invalid/blank votes			–	–	–
Total				109	–
Registered voters/turnout				–	–
Source: Naijaonpoint

Presidential elections of Nigeria, 2019

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Muhammadu Buhari	All Progressives Congress	15,191,847	55.60
	Atiku Abubakar	People's Democratic Party	11,262,978	41.22
	Felix Nicolas	Peoples Coalition Party	110,196	0.40
	Obadiah Mailafia	African Democratic Congress	97,874	0.36
	Gbor John Wilson Terwase	All Progressives Grand Alliance	66,851	0.24
	Yabagi Sani Yusuf	Action Democratic Party	54,930	0.20
	Akhimien Davidson Isibor	Grassroots Development Party of Nigeria	41,852	0.15
	Ibrahim Aliyu Hassan	African Peoples Alliance	36,866	0.13
	Donald Duke	Social Democratic Party	34,746	0.13
	Omoyele Sowore	African Action Congress	33,953	0.12
	Da-Silva Thomas Ayo	Save Nigeria Congress	28,680	0.10
	Shitu Mohammed Kabir	Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance	26,558	0.10
	Yusuf Mamman Dantalle	Allied Peoples' Movement	26,039	0.10
	Kingsley Moghalu	Young Progressive Party	21,886	0.08
	Ameh Peter Ojonugwa	Progressive Peoples Alliance	21,822	0.08
	Ositelu Isaac Babatunde	Accord Party	19,209	0.07
	Fela Durotoye	Alliance for New Nigeria	16,779	0.06
	Bashayi Isa Dansarki	Masses Movement of Nigeria	14,540	0.05
	Osakwe Felix Johnson	Democratic People's Party	14,483	0.05
	Abdulrashid Hassan Baba	Action Alliance	14,380	0.05
	Nwokeafor Ikechukwu Ndubuisi	Advanced Congress of Democrats	11,325	0.04
	Maina Maimuna Kyari	Northern People's Congress	10,081	0.04
	Victor Okhai	Providence Peoples Congress	8,979	0.03
	Chike Ukaegbu	Advanced Allied Party	8,902	0.03
	Oby Ezekwesili	Allied Congress Party of Nigeria	7,223	0.03
	Ibrahim Usman Alhaji	National Rescue Movement	6,229	0.02
	Ike Keke	New Nigeria People's Party	6,111	0.02
	Moses Ayibiowu	National Unity Party	5,323	0.02
	Awosola Williams Olusola	Democratic Peoples Congress	5,242	0.02
	Muhammed Usman Zaki	Labour Party	5,074	0.02
	Eke Samuel Chukwuma	Green Party of Nigeria	4,924	0.02
	Nwachukwu Chuks Nwabuikwu	All Grassroots Alliance	4,689	0.02
	Hamza al-Mustapha	Peoples Party of Nigeria	4,622	0.02
	Shipi Moses Godia	All Blended Party	4,523	0.02
	Chris Okotie	Fresh Democratic Party	4,554	0.02
	Tope Fasua	Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party	4,340	0.02
	Onwubuya	Freedom And Justice Party	4,174	0.02
	Asukwo Mendie Archibong	Nigeria For Democracy	4,096	0.01
	Ahmed Buhari	Sustainable National Party	3,941	0.01
	Salisu Yunusa Tanko	National Conscience Party	3,799	0.01
	Shittu Moshood Asiwaju	Alliance National Party	3,586	0.01
	Obinna Uchechukwu Ikeagwuonu	All People's Party	3,585	0.01
	Balogun Isiaka Ishola	United Democratic Party	3,170	0.01
	Obaje Yusufu Ameh	Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party	3,104	0.01
	Chief Umenwa Godwin	All Grand Alliance Party	3,071	0.01
	Israel Nonyerem Davidson,	Reform and Advancement Party	2,972	0.01
	Ukonga Frank	Democratic Alternative	2,769	0.01
	Santuraki Hamisu	Mega Party of Nigeria	2,752	0.01
	Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies	Mass Action Joint Alliance	2,651	0.01
	Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim	Peoples Trust	2,613	0.01
	Ali Soyode	Yes Electorates Solidarity	2,394	0.01
	Nsehe Nseobong	Restoration Party of Nigeria	2,388	0.01
	Ojinika Geff Chizee	Coalition for Change	2,391	0.01
	Rabia Yasai Hassan Cengiz	National Action Council	2,279	0.01
	Eunice Atuejide	National Interest Party	2,248	0.01
	Dara John	Alliance of Social Democrats	2,146	0.01
	Fagbenro-byron Samuel Adesina	Kowa Party	1,911	0.01
	Emmanuel Etim	Change Nigeria Party	1,874	0.01
	Chukwu-Eguzolugo Sunday Chikendu	Justice Must Prevail Party	1,853	0.01
	Madu Nnamdi Edozie	Independent Democrats	1,845	0.01
	Osuala Chukwudi John	Re-build Nigeria Party	1,792	0.01
	Albert Owuru Ambrose	Hope Democratic Party	1,663	0.01
	David Esosa Ize-Iyamu	Better Nigeria Progressive Party	1,649	0.01
	Inwa Ahmed Sakil	Unity Party of Nigeria	1,631	0.01
	Akpua Robinson	National Democratic Liberty Party	1,588	0.01
	Mark Emmanuel Audu	United Patriots	1,561	0.01
	Ishaka Paul Ofemile	Nigeria Elements Progressive Party	1,524	0.01
	Kriz David	Liberation Movement	1,438	0.01
	Ademola Babatunde Abidemi	Nigeria Community Movement Party	1,378	0.01
	A. Edosomwan Johnson	National Democratic Liberty Party	1,192	0.00
	Angela Johnson	Alliance for a United Nigeria	1,092	0.00
	Abah Lewis Elaigwu	Change Advocacy Party	1,111	0.00
	Nwangwu Uchenna Peter	We The People Nigeria	732	0.00
Invalid/blank votes			1,289,607	–
Total			28,614,190	100
Registered voters/turnout			82,344,107	34.75
Source: Vanguard

States of Nigeria

Nigeria is made up of 36 states and 1 territory. They are: the Federal Capital Territory, Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.

Local governments

Each state is further divided into Local Government Areas (LGAs). There are 774 LGAs in Nigeria.[10] Kano State has the largest number of LGAs at 44, and Bayelsa State has the fewest at 9. The Federal Capital Territory of Abuja has 6 LGAs.[10] LGAs replaced the Districts that were the previous third-tier administrative units under the British government.

Military

Nigerian troops

The military of Nigeria has played a major role in the country's history, often seizing control of the country and ruling it for long periods of time. Its last period of rule ended in 1999, following the death of the leader of the previous military junta Sani Abacha in 1998.

Active duty personnel in the three Nigerian armed services totals approximately 76,000. The Nigerian Army, which is the largest of the services, has about 60,000 personnel, deployed between two mechanized infantry divisions, one composite division (airborne and amphibious), the Lagos Garrison Command (a division-size unit), and the Abuja-based Brigade of Guards. The Nigerian Navy (7,000) is equipped with frigates, fast attack craft, corvettes, and coastal patrol boats. The Nigerian Air Force (9,000) flies transports, trainers, helicopters, and fighter aircraft; however, most of their vehicles are currently not operational. Recently, Marshal of the Nigerian Air Force, Sadique Abubakar, suggested the purchase of equipment after dumping the non-operational vehicles.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Nigeria

Nigeria currently has better foreign relations with its neighbors, due to its current state of democracy. It is a member of the African Union and sits on that organization's Peace and Security Council. In 1960, Nigeria joined both the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations; however, they were briefly suspended between 1995 and 1999.

See also

• Senate of Nigeria
• National Assembly of Nigeria
• List of Nigerian state governors
• Nigerian Civil Service
• List of Nigerian states
• Nigerian Prisons Services
• Chief Justice of Nigeria

References

1. "separation of powers". TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
2. "Checks and Balances". www.factmonster.com. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
3. The Economist Intelligence Unit (8 January 2019). "Democracy Index 2019". Economist Intelligence Unit. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
4. "SOURCES AND CLASSIFICATION OF NIGERIAN LAW". Newswatch Times. Archived from the original on 2016-02-21. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
5. "Government Ministries in Nigeria". Commonwealth of Nations. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
6. "Permanent Secretaries". Office of the Head of Service of the Federation. Archived from the original on 2010-08-10. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
7. "BOARDS OF PARASTATALS". Office of the Head of Service of the Federation. Archived from the original on 2009-10-10. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
8. "Court System in Nigeria". The Beehive by One Economy Corporation. Archived from the original on February 25, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
9. "Constitution". The National Judicial Council. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
10. ""USAID Nigeria mission: Nigeria administrative divisions" October 2004". Archived from the original on 2007-01-13. Retrieved 2007-01-15.

External links

• Official website