Institutional Perspective: Legislative-Executive Relations Under Nigeria’s Democratic Dispensation

Abstract

The emergence of the All Progressive Congress (APC) government at the 2015 general election in Nigeria became the first time since the return of democracy in 1999 any opposition party would exercise control over the federal government. The victory was great as it controls the executive with the presidency and having the highest members of the national assembly at the same time. However, not long after the new government was sworn in, troubles began to shoot in revealing the party’s lack of cohesion and organization. This situation revealed absence of policy cohesion between the legislature and the executive. Thus, this study aimed to examine the relations between the legislature and the executive under the APC 2015 led administration. It is divided into several parts. These included: legislative-executive relations under the APC government and cases of legislative-executive clash under APC administration. The study relied on qualitative research and Institutional Theory. Data were generated from both primary and secondary sources. Upon conclusion, the study revealed that internal crisis, rancor and differences that featured the emergence of the principal leadership of the House of Representatives and the Senate was the genesis of the seed of disunity between the party, the legislature and the executive.