The Effects of ‘Non-Handing Over’ Governance in a Democratic Nigeria

Abstract

Recent political and legal developments on Nigeria’s former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s inability to formally handover governance to the Vice President (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan), have attracted scholarly attention, public opinion and a historic consolidation of democracy in Nigeria. The author examined Sections 143, 144, 145 and 146 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to cement her analysis that the effect of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua non-handing over governance to the Vice President was amicably resolved by the National Assembly and the Judiciary, without resort to military intervention, so as to avert any likelihood of threat to democracy, disintegration and instability of governance. The findings are sufficiently strong to warrant a rethinking of some critical challenges of governance, political leadership and that democracy can be sustained in Nigeria through the application of the formal aspects of politics: rules, organization, procedures and constitution. The author concludes that the combination of the above factors and the likely negative consequences by the international community against Nigeria, occasioned the swearing of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as Nigeria’s President.

LWATI: A Journal of Contemporary Research,, 8(4), 283-301, 2011