A Performance Assessment of the Nigerian Legislature in the Fourth Republic (1999-2015)

Abstract

The role of the legislature as an institutional actor in Nigeria’s democratic process was examined, with focus on the Fourth Republic (1999-2015). The study assumed that a docile or weak legislature as a democratic institution is a threat to democratic growth and sustenance in a polity. The objectives of the study were set to assess the performance of the Nigerian legislature since the return of democratic governance in 1999, to ascertain the extent to which the conduct of the Nigerian legislature has impacted on the Nigerian polity, to establish the impediments to effective role performance of the legislature in Nigeria and to offer remedial measures towards effective performance of the Nigerian legislature. The study adopted the descriptive and survey methods of investigation. The findings of the study revealed that the legislature as an important political institution is entrusted with the functions of representation, law-making, public participation and education as well as oversight which are vital to democracy. It was further noted that in Nigeria, the culture of meaningful representation is yet to evolve, while the functions of law-making, public participation and education have not been well entrenched in the political system. Moreover, it was revealed from the study that legislative oversight functions have failed in Nigeria due to corruption,
reliance of some legislators on the chief executive for political advancement, underdeveloped nature of the legislature, lack of qualified support staff and uncooperative nature of the civil
society groups. Consequently, it was recommended among others, that the legislators should
be close to members of their constituencies by setting up of functional constituency offices, convening of town-hall meetings and briefing their constituents on regular basis as well as projecting the interest of the people above personal interest, even as they follow due constitutional process in the exercise of their oversight functions, not unnecessarily pursue personal interests.