Legislature-Executive Relations in the Presidential System: A Study of Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria, 1999-2011 By ONI, Samuel Olorunmaiye CUGP070188 A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Political Science and International Relations, School of Social Sciences, College of Development Studies, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Ph.D Degree in Political Science May, 2013 i CERTIFICATION This is to certify that this study titled “Legislature-Executive Relations in the Presidential System: A Study of Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria, 1999-2011” was carried out by Oni Samuel O. under our supervision and that the thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree in this or any other university. Professor Remi Anifowose Department of Political Science Signature and Date University of Lagos (Supervisor) Professor Kayode Soremekun Department of Political Science Signature and Date & International Relations College of Development Studies Co-Supervisor ii DECLARATION It is hereby declared that this thesis titled “Legislature-Executive Relations in the Presidential System: A Study of Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria, 1999-2011” was undertaken me, Oni Samuel O. The thesis is based on my original study in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, School of Social Sciences, College of Development Studies, Covenant University, Ota. The views of other researchers have been acknowledged. It is further restated that this work has not been submitted for the award of degree in this or any other institution. Oni Samuel O. Researcher Signature and Date The above declaration is attested to by: Professor Remi Anifowose Supervisor Signature and Date Professor Kayode Soremekun Co-Supervisor Signature and Date Dr. Sheriff Folarin Head, Department of Political Science and Signature and Date International Relations Covenant University, Ota. Ogun State, Nigeria Professor Ranti Olurinola Signature and Date Dean, College of Development Studies Covenant University, Ota. Ogun State, Nigeria Professor Charles Ogbulogo Signature and Date Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies Covenant University, Ota. Ogun State, Nigeria iii DE DICATION This thesis is dedicated to the Almighty God iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I will continue to be grateful to the Almighty God for His leading and the grace bestowed on me for this academic journey. My sincere appreciation goes to the Chancellor of Covenant University, Dr. David Oyedepo whose singular obedience to God’s call has opened this door for the fulfilment of God’s agenda for me. I humbly acknowledge and appreciate the continuous support of Pastor Yemi Nathaniel, Executive Secretary of the Living Faith Church Worldwide. My special and deep appreciation goes to Professor Aize Obayan, Education Secretary, National Education Commission of the Living Faith Commission Worldwide. Her care, love, efforts and commitment to seeing that I key into God’s purpose for my life will continue to be deeply acknowledged. I humbly appreciate the untiring efforts of the management team of Covenant University led by the Vice- Chancellor, Prof. C.K. Ayo for their passion particularly towards the fulfillment of the vision of the Postgraduate programme of Covenant University. I appreciate the Registrar, Dr. Ubong Ntia, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Administration, Dr. T. A. Abioye, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Academics, Professor A. A. Ataiyero and the Dean of Postgraduate School, Professor Charles Ogbulogo. I am also grateful to the Dean of the College of Development Studies, Professor R. Ogunrinola and the Deputy Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Dr. Daniel E. Gberevbie for the roles they played in respect of my Ph.D Degree Programme. I equally express my deep and sincere appreciation to my Head of Department, Dr. Sheriff Folarin for his untiring efforts and care towards the successful completion of my Ph.D programme in the Department. To my supervisor, Professor Remi Anifowose, I am sincerely grateful for his thorough supervision of this very thesis. His wealth of knowledge, constructive criticisms and commitment to excellence has indeed impacted on me as shown in the quality of this thesis. I am also very to grateful to my co-supervisor, Professor Kayode Soremekun, for the great role he played both in terms of supervision and advice in ensuring the quality v and completion of this study. I am indeed privileged to be supervised by these erudite scholars. This gratitude will not be complete without appreciating the contributions of Professor Mathew Ajayi, Vice Chancellor of Landmark University, for his immense contribution to this exercise. I am grateful to Dr. Joseph Fashagba, Landmark University, Prof. D. Omoweh, Dr. William Idowu and Dr. O. Wusu for their great impact on this project. My profound gratitude also goes to my colleagues and senior colleagues in the Department especially Dr. M. Duruji, Mrs. F. Owolabi, Mrs. O. Fayomi, Mr. R. Olorunyomi, Mr. F. Anuniru, Mr. S. Joshua, Mr. G. Agbude, Mr. I. Olanrewaju, Mr. K. Shodipo, Mrs. D. Udoh, Mrs L. Ajayi, Miss F. Oviasoge and Miss R. Popoola for their contributions to this work. I appreciate my great friends and senior colleagues in the College, Dr. J. Obamiro, Dr. A. J. Abiodun, Mr. O. Ogunnaike and Mr. O. Fashina for their worthy input particularly, in the data analysis of this research work. I am most grateful to Mr. Femi Ademosun, the Director, Bills, Ogun State House of Assembly, Mr. Adesanya Quadri Wasiu, Head, Parliamentary Education Unit, Legislative Matters Directorate and Secretary, Public Accounts Committee, The Public Relations Officer, Ogun State House of Assembly and Chief Babatunde Akinyemi, A PDP Chieftain in Ogun State for all their efforts, particularly during the data gathering stage of the research work. I sincerely appreciate my lovely wife Aderonke Atinuke Oni for her prayers, encouragement, sacrifice, understanding and support throughout the course of my Ph.D programme. I am indeed grateful to my siblings particularly, Oni Gabriel Funso and Oni Jacob Oluwafemi for their prayers and supports towards the successful completion of this thesis. vi Finally, I deeply appreciate every individual who in one way or the other contributed to the successful completion of my Ph.D Degree Programme in Covenant University. May God shower His priceless blessings upon them all, Amen. Oni Samuel O. May 2013 vii Abstract This study examines legislature-executive relations in the presidential system. The relationship between the legislature and the executive is pivotal to any constitution and is one of the central characteristics of a model of government. The need for separation of the roles, powers and personnel of the executive and the legislature capable of instituting harmonious inter-organ relations as well as ensure independence of the legislature in order to achieve the common goal of governance, underpinned the adoption of presidential system in Nigeria. The nature of legislature-executive relations in the presidential system has, however, attracted wide variety of viewpoints both about conflicts and cooperation and whether benefits or liabilities result from either. It is on this basis that the study examines the nature, causes and consequences of legislature- executive relations in two of Nigerian states - Lagos and Ogun between 1999 and 2011. It investigates the extent of legislature’s independence in its constitutional processes in the face of the executive’s influence in the two states. The study engages a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, while data were gathered from primary and secondary sources. A well structured, closed and open-ended questionnaire was administered on 300 respondents selected through a combination of simple random and purposive sampling techniques from the legislature, executive, academia, civil society organisations, political parties and mass media from Lagos and Ogun States. In addition, in-depth non-scheduled structured interviews were conducted on selected political actors in the two states. Data gathered were analysed using percentile, measures of central tendency and content analysis. While the success of the presidential system depends on healthy legislature-executive interactions, findings reveal that a noxious pattern of legislature-executive relations conditioned by such socio-political and economic culture as rent-seeking, manipulations, impositions, patronage and political clientelism, among others, existed in Lagos and Ogun States. This nature of relationship is not only injurious to democratic consolidation, but also treacherous to their political development. Besides, while the legislature’s independence is fundamental to presidential democracy, the executive’s domination and meddlesomeness in the legislative business of the Assembly in the two states hampered the institution from performing the crucial role of citizens’ representation through legislation and oversight. The inability of the legislature to meaningfully impact on policy process and perform its oversight role on the executive portends a reversal from democratic to quasi-dictatorial governance. Consequently, the study emphasizes the need to address those factors that encouraged the subordination of the legislature under the executive. These include, among others, the implementation of the self-accounting and service commission laws, institutionalization of the practice of party democracy, well-defined ideology and manifesto by political parties which must be the legal compass