Redefining the Nigerian System of Government: The Error of a Copied Democracy without True Federalism

Abstract

The political life of Nigeria has been characterized by years of switching to different forms of government: from colonial to parliamentary, military, and presidential systems of government. From independence, the country has maintained the appellation of Federal Republic, even though in reality, true federalism cannot be pointed to; which begs these questions: 1) Does Nigeria really have true democracy? 2) What led Nigeria to adopt federalism and was this the right choice? 3) Could there be a hidden agenda for democracy, particularly in Third-world Nations like Nigeria? Did any nation really become developed with democracy or are there developed nations using democracy as a tool for sustainable development? 4) Does the principle of currently practiced federalism enable dictatorship? 5) What did Nigeria get wrong that Singapore got right, seeing as both nations gained independence around the same period? This paper will reflect the story of how Nigeria attained federalism, albeit a seemingly fake one. The flaws of Nigerian democracy will be identified to justify the assertion that democracy is not healthy for the country. The hidden motive behind the retention of federalism will also be unearthed in order to establish how much of a disservice the present arrangement is doing to the stability and progress of the country. Finally, upon the aforementioned premises, a case for a system of government that ensures continuity in order to impact on the progress of a developing pluralistic nation will be made.