 | |
| Formation | 1 October 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 portal |
The federal government of Nigeria is composed of three distinct branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial, whose powers are vested and bestowed upon by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.[1] One of the primary functions of the constitution is that it provides for separation and balance of powers among the three branches and aims to prevent the repetition of past mistakes made by the government. Other functions of the constitution include a division of power between the federal government and the states, and protection of various individual liberties of the nation's citizens.[2][3][4]
Nigerian politics takes place within a framework of a federal and presidential republic and a representative democracy, in which the president holds executive power.[5] Legislative power is held by the federal government and the two chambers of the legislature: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The legislative branch of Nigeria is responsible for and possesses powers to legislate laws. Together, the two chambers form the law-making body in Nigeria,[6] called the National Assembly, which serves as a check on the executive arm of government. The National Assembly of Nigeria (NASS) is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its people, makes laws for Nigeria, and holds the Government of Nigeria to account. The National Assembly (NASS) is the nation's highest legislature, whose power to make laws is summarized in chapter one, section four of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution. Sections 47–49 of the 1999 Constitution state, among other things, that "There shall be a National Assembly (NASS) for the federation which shall consist of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives."[7][8][9] The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Nigeria a "hybrid regime" in 2019.[10] The federal government, state, and local governments of Nigeria aim to work cooperatively to govern the nation and its people.[11] Nigeria became a member of the British Commonwealth upon its independence from British colonial rule on 1 October 1960.[12]
- ^ "Federal Republic of Nigeria". Forum of Federations. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ Tobi, Niki (1981). "Judicial Independence in Nigeria". International's Law Practitioner. 6: 62.
- ^ Herskovits, Jean (1979). "Democracy in Nigeria". Foreign Affairs. 58 (2): 314–335. doi:10.2307/20040417. ISSN 0015-7120. JSTOR 20040417.
- ^ "Functions of the Constitution | Constitutions". Nigerian Scholars. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ IPROJECT, Final Year Research Project Topics & Materials in PDF & Doc | iproject from. "The Structure Of Nigerian Government And Politics Political Science Pr..." www.iproject.com.ng. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ "A SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS IN NIGERIA – SSKOHN". Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ ago, Lydia Mosiana 11 months. "The Executive Arm of Government | Arms of Government". Nigerian Scholars. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Major Functions of the National Assembly". na.parliament.gov.np. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ "National Assembly | Federal Republic of Nigeria". nass.gov.ng. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ "SOURCES AND CLASSIFICATION OF NIGERIAN LAW". Newswatch Times. Archived from the original on 2016-02-21. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- ^ "THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN NIGERIA" (PDF). Commonwealth Local Government Forum.
- ^ Hydrant (http://www.hydrant.co.uk) (2013-08-15). "Nigeria". The Commonwealth. Retrieved 2020-11-18.