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Intra-Elite Conflict and Problems of Governance in Nigeria: Imperatives of Games Theory in African Politics
Intra-Elite Conflict and Problems of Governance in Nigeria: Imperatives of Games Theory in African Politics
Intra-Elite
Elite Conflict and Problems of Governance in Nigeria:
Imperatives of Games Theory in African Politics
I. S Ladan-Baki C. Enwere
Department of Political Science and International Department of Political Science and International
Relations, Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria Relations, Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
In modern African politics, terrorism and failed state provided the political mechanism for reshaping and
syndrome have became prevalent and a challenge to influencing the legislative processes and powers of
democratic values and virtues of good governance, the parliament to satisfy the self interest of power
posing great threat and stress to the survival of seekers.
domestic political systems. This increasing politic
political
Keywords: Intra-elite
elite Conflict, Legislature, Executive,
Execut
stress is a product of competition and struggle for
Crisis of governance
power and supremacy among players in the executive
and legislative organs of government, which has INTRODUCTION
reduced the parliament to a rubber stamp of power
seekers as well as the use of electoral violence as The political behavior of Nigerian elites draws its core
instruments of regime change. Therefore, this study values from the legacies of the colonial
colon state whose
seeks to examine the root cause of political struggle political culture was embedded in traditions of
and problems of good governance in Africa by political totalitarianism. At the time of independence,
analyzing the variables of intra-elite
elite crisis in the Nigerian elites were less interested in the
parliament and the quest for establishment of sphere
spheres development values of modern democracy but more
of influence by players in the executive arm. The focused on promoting the paraphernalia of liberal li
rivalry between both elites has created tremendous democracy such as written constitution, independence
problems of governance and the desires of incumbent of the legislature, multi-parties,
parties, separation of power
presidents to elongate their tenure by using the and rule of law (Sorenson 1993:50-64).
1993:50 This
legislature to amend the constitution to suit their third misapplication of democratic values stimulated
term bid as was seen in Burundi. The games theory is conflict of interests and struggle for power, prestige
prest
used as a tool of analysis to describe the roles of elites and supremacy among Nigerian parliamentary elites.
in the intra-power
power struggle for the control of the
parliament which has made modern legislatures in The parliament, therefore, became a theater of conflict
Africa a new theater for proxy wars of domestic for proxy interests of power seekers which culminated
power seekers resulting in the collapse of in the collapse of parliamentary democracy as seen in
parliamentary values and the ascendency of executive the 1962 crisis in Western Nigeria. TheT crisis was
authoritarianism. This has made legislature in Africa tacitly ignited by multi-sum
sum struggle for power and
weak and unstable culminating in the democratization prestige between the party leaders and the parliament
of disempowerment of the citizens from the benefits as was seen at the 1961 conference of Action Group.
of good governance, promoting poverty, political This conflict of interests widened to unprecedented
exclusion, apathy and frustration. Therefore, we proportion resulting in hot fighting
figh within the
conclude that intra-elite
elite struggle for power has legislative chambers and many legislators were
But the Cold War’s end in 1989 served as a fourth In order to subordinate the legislature to executive
turning point in the history of parliamentary politics in control and manipulation, the politics of impeachment
Nigeria. The collapse of single-party regimes throught was covertly introduced which created more conflicts
Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union than collaboration in the National Assembly. Jide
powerfully influenced Nigerian pro-democracy Ajani ( Vanguard 29 May, 2003) observed that
activists and sparked a new wave of democratic impeachment or removal from office of Senate
transistions that led to the reestablishment of the presidents was one aspect of 1999 Constitution that
legislature in 1999. The 1999 Constitution again was given accommodation by the political elites with
provides for a bicameral legislature. Chapter 5 of the unbridled rascality. The reasons for impeachment
1999 Constitution stipulates that the federal ranged from nepotism, autocracy, embezzlement of
legislature should be made up of two houses: the public funds, lack of probity and favouritism. These
House of Representatives with 360 members and the reasons provided the guise to stimulate conflicts to
Senate comprising of 109 members. make the legislature subservient to executive
hegemony. Therefore, the crisis of impeachmen and
Yet the greatest challenged that faced the 1999 forced resignations of Senate Presidents between 1999
parliament was the onerous task of redefining its and 2007 will be categorized under the following
status and assertiveness from executive dormination epochs:
and subordination. This created inter elite conflict
between the executive and the legislature that resulted June-Novermber 1999 Epoch
in parliamentary instability and contant removal of
This period was characterized by power struggle
Senate presidents. But in 2015 with the emergency of
between the legislature and the executive as well as
APC as the ruling party, the legislature was again
intra-legislative conflict among power seekers. This
confronted with yet another obstacle that threatens its
was demonstrated in the emergence of Evan Enwerem
independence. Thus the legislature is involved in
as the Senate President, when the political elites in the
intense struggle with the party elites over the
executive mobilized senators from the opposition
To achieve this aim, the executive went into alliance Despite these achievements, intra PDP elite rivalry
with conflict players in both House of Representatives dominated senateproceedings and the senate was
and Senate to achieve a pre-determined outcome of caught up into two conflicting worlds: the sustenance
subordination of National Assembly in the power of legislative independence and the perceived
game (Nkem, 2001: 11). For this reason, the House of alienation PDP elites by the charismatic hegemony of
Representatives commenced a boycott of all joint Senate president style of leadership. Thus, the
sessions insisting not to return until the Senate executive arm of government exploited the division
president was removed. On the other hand, the among key players in the senate to tacitly undermine
conflict entrepreneurs in the Senate moved a motion parliamentary politics of supremacy to its advantage
for the impeachment of the Senate president on three by creating more conflict players. The entrance of
grounds (Felix, 1999:2): conflict entrepreneurs into the strategic power game
between the executive and the legislature led to the
I. That the executive arm of government has creation of more power blocs in the senate which
developed undemocratic and dictatorial facilitated proliferation of incompatible interests,
tendencies due to the subversion of the positions, fears and needs. This followed allegations
legislature which is not independent, lacks of public disdain arising from the inability of the
confidence, drive and enterprise. senate to pass the 2000 Appropriation Bill, leadership
II. That the progress and existence of the arrogance, contract scam and financial wrongdoings.
country’s nascent democratic dispensation is
endangered by events which eroded the moral However, in his desperation to prove his innocence,
authority of the senate. integrity and containment of executive influence a
III. That there is need to determine the position of panel was ste up headed by Idris Kuta to investigate
the senate president because the senate lacks the allegations. On the basis of the investigation, the
the moral authority and capacity to stand up to panel indicted the senate president and recommended
the executive arm of government, defend and for his removal from office. On August 10, 2000, the
promote the interest of the legislature in senate adopted the recommendations of the panel
Nigeria. under intense pressure and lobbing from the executive
elites and consequently the senate president was
Based on the above reasons, a vote of no confidence impeached.
was passed on the senate president and on Novermber
18, 1999 he was removed through an overwhelming During this period, the senate president and his
vote of 92 to 2. His tenure only lasted for six months. alliesspent more time staving off attempts of
During this era, nothing meaningful was achieved but impeachment than on legislative duties and
rather the legislature was embedded in crisis while the operations. Hence, the legislature under this era
executive strives in its hegemonic influence and suffered another major setback from attaining the
control of the parliament. much desired operational independence that would
have given it a great voice in the development of
democratic values in Nigeria. So, the legislature
However, the most defining variable of the new inter- Contemporary Parliamentary Crisis Under All
elite conflict was the attempt to impeach President Progressive Congress (APC).
Olusegun Obasanjo, one of the key actor in the
Historically, in 2013, the four strongest opposition
legislative-executive game of strategy. The House
parties namely: ACN, CPC, ANPP and a faction of
passed a motion on the State of the Nation and gave
APGA come together to form APC in order to
the President a two-week ultimatum to either resign
systematically build a formidable party to contest the
from office or face impeachment proceedings. The
2015 election. The new party described itself as a
President was accused of non-implementation of 2001
leftist-progressive party and has diverse geographical
Appropriation Act as passed by the senate. The
spread, covering five out of six geopolitical zones. So,
impeachment option was the first time the parliament
APC’s zones of influence included North East, North
confronted the political elites in the executive in the
Central, North West, South West and some parts of
history of executive-legislative power game.
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