Strategies for Consensus Building in Legislative-Executive Relations in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic

Abstract

The Nigerian experience of democratic rule especially between 2015 and 2019 has put the issue of legislative-executive relations at the front burner of discourse in Nigeria. While it may not be too healthy for both arms of government to be too close as a result of the dominant-tendency of the executive as observed in the early days of the return to democracy under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s first term, the confrontational legislative-executive relations as witnessed during the 8th Assembly is neither healthy for good governance. This contradictory trajectory has renewed scholars’ interest in attempts to produce a template on how best governance should be done especially in terms of institutional relationships. However, despite the increasing attention, there is still much left to be desired as most people are yet to understand what should be the basis of the relationship between the two arms of government. It is against this backdrop that this paper attempts to explore the patterns of legislative-executive relations as witnessed under the Fourth Republic. The paper observed that the relationship has been that of deference and defiance, thus posing threat to good governance and democratic survival in the country. Premised on this, the paper outlines strategies that could be adopted to build consensus between the two arms of government. The paper concluded that cordial legislative-executive relation in a ‘maintenance’ order is more beneficial for good governance and democratic advancement than ‘confrontational’ relationship.