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QUEST FOR RE-ADOPTION OF PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA: ISSUES, PROBLEMS AND PROSPECT.

ABSTRACT

In recent years some prominent Nigerians within and outside the House of Representatives have intensely campaigned for the re-adoption of Parliamentary model of government as the only panacea for the myriads of socio-economic and political problems of Nigeria. According to them some features of parliamentary system such as reduction in the cost of governance, regular accountability of ministers to the parliament, reduction in the powers of the President, easy resolution of conflict between the executive and the legislature and faster passage of legislation make the system to be better suited for Nigeria than Presidential system currently in operation. The objective of this paper is not only to appraise its suppose attractive features afore mentioned base on its operation during the First Republic but also to assess the likelihood of its successful future re- adoption in Nigeria. Using documentary information and adopting textual presentation to analyse both the operation of parliamentary system in the First Republic as against the present political practices under Presidential system of government, the paper arrives at the findings that as oppose to the views of proponents of Westminster model, the model is neither cheap to operate, peaceful and stable, facilitates easy resolution of conflict, facilitates faster passage of legislation nor does it has appreciable chance of readoption in the future. The paper concludes that the argument by its supporters that the parliamentary model is better in many aspect of governance than Presidential model is not supported by facts. The paper therefore recommends that to overcome perceived weakness of Presidential system in Nigeria certain sections of the 1999 constitution should be amended to strengthen it while its practitioners should be made to pass through compulsory orientation course before assuming political office.

KEYWORDS: Parliamentary Model, Presidential Model, Cabinet, Collective Responsibility, Motion of no Confidence, Westminster, Party Discipline.

Aniefiok F. ESETANG, Ph.D., Effiong N. Thompson Ph.D. AND Uduak Johnson ESUA

KING-UK INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ACADEMIC ANTHOLOGY, UNITED STATES, VOL.9 NO.1