EXECUTIVE DOMINANCE ON LEGISLATIVE PROCESSES IN ZAMFARA STATE’S 5TH ASSEMBLY

Abstract

Nigeria’s 65 years post-independence journey have been characterized by series of events that shapes and reshapes the country’s political landscape. Notable among these events were civil war,military incursion, and multiple transitions from military to civilian administration. With the return of democracy in 1999, one of the arms of governmentthat was hitherto suspended but revived was the legislative arm of government.Elections into the states and national assemblies were conducted and members were elected to make laws for the nation and their respective states. In Zamfara State, 24 Honourable memberswere elected to represent various constituencies in line with the provisions of section 90of the 1999constitution(as amended) of the federal Republic of Nigeria to make laws for the state. However, available records suggests thatthe Zamfara State5^th house of assembly did not operate with relative autonomy as contained in section 4,5 and 6 of the Nigerian 1999 constitution (as amended) which shared powers among the three independent arms of government.This study dwells on the impact of the dominance of the executive arm of government over the legislative arm which affected the capacityof the legislature to carry out their constitutional mandate of law making, oversight function and representation. The study relying on the primary and secondary sources of data argues that despite the existence principle of checks and balances as enshrined in the Nigeria’s constitution, the state executive arm has rendered the legislature into a mere rubber stamp so much that many people see it as an extension of the executive arm of government. The study recommends the independence of the legislature through reforms of the Nigerians political institutions.