True Federalism or no Federalism? Interrogating Nigerian Federal Question

Abstract

Majority of multiple societies like Nigeria, support federalism as a political system because it
allows for the coexistence of people with different cultural and ethical backgrounds while still
fostering competitive development. The degree to which federal systems are able to handle the
inherent changes that more often than not arise in the operations and functioning of the system,
however, determines the continued existence and survival of federal systems. Federal systems,
however, always face some internal challenges that are inevitable but are frequently addressed
within the system through certain mechanisms that are likewise dynamic and changing. The
debate over federalism in Nigeria is a contentious national issue. In contrast to Nigeria, where
federalism is practiced, the West promotes independence and coordination among the
federating entities. Nigerian federalism is a fraud since it is an anomaly compared to other
countries. Therefore, this study looked at the history that led to the misconception connected
with Nigeria's federalism by providing an outline of the country's military experiment with
federalism and, consequently, shading a light on the unification decree. This study’s theoretical
explanation was anchored on the K.C Wheare’s legal institutional theory of federalism. This
study's methodology is qualitative since it relied on secondary sources to produce data that are
pertinent to the investigation. The federal character principle, the concentration of fiscal power,
and ethnic domination—all of which have an impact on Nigeria's federalism and existence as a
nation—were three major issues related to the country's federalism that have historically
received little attention. The literature review of these issues was also conducted in this paper.
The conclusion of this paper discussed how to move forward with resolving the federalism
issue in order to achieve and solidify Nigerian progress.