Leadership crisis in the parliament of Nigeria : the case of the senate in the fourth republic

Abstract

The article explores the political dynamics that explain the rapidity of the impeachment processes and resignation of Nigeria’s Senate presidents in the Fourth Republic. By means of narrative analysis and utilising content-analysis of primary and secondary sources, gathered from fieldwork in Lagos and Abuja, the article captures the crisis-ridden character of the Nigerian Senate from 1999 to 2007. This article probes the elements of corruption, intra-elite struggle and the dimensions of legislative-executive conflict in the determination of the internal power struggle and leadership instability within the Nigerian Senate (1999–2007) and concludes with the need to address the problem of poor representation in Parliament.