The Supreme Court and federalism in Nigeria

Since Nigeria's transition from military to civilian rule in 1999, the country's Supreme Court has risen from a position of relative political obscurity and institutional vulnerability into a prominent and independent adjudicator of inter-governmental disputes in this chronically conflicte...

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Published in:The Journal of modern African studies 2008-09, Vol.46 (3), p.451-485
Main Author: Suberu, Rotimi T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Africa
African studies
Area studies
Chief justice
Civil-military relations
Constitutional law
Councils
Democracy
Federalism
Government
Intergovernmental Relations
Judges & magistrates
Judicial reviews
Judicial system
Judiciary
Local government
Minority & ethnic groups
Modern society
Nigeria
Parliaments
Police
Political appointments
Political Change
Political conditions
Political conflict
Political Systems
Politics
Regime transition
Revenue
Sovereignty
State government
Supreme Courts
Tribunals & commissions
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description Since Nigeria's transition from military to civilian rule in 1999, the country's Supreme Court has risen from a position of relative political obscurity and institutional vulnerability into a prominent and independent adjudicator of inter-governmental disputes in this chronically conflicted federation. Examined here is the Court's arbitration, during President Olusegun Obasanjo's two civilian constitutional terms (1999–2007), of fifteen different federal-state litigations over offshore oil resources, revenue allocation, local governance and public order. The Court's federalism decisions were remarkably independent and reasonably balanced, upholding the constitutional supremacy of the Federal Government in several findings, tilting towards the states in some declarations, and simultaneously underwriting federal authority and state autonomy in other rulings. Despite the Court's important and independent role, however, the Nigerian federation was vexed by violent conflicts, underscoring the structural, political and constitutional constraints on judicial federalism in this notoriously complex and divided country.
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source International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS); Cambridge Journals Online; ABI/INFORM global; JSTOR Archival Journals and Primary Sources Collection; Social Science Premium Collection; Politics Collection; Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
subjects Africa
African studies
Area studies
Chief justice
Civil-military relations
Constitutional law
Councils
Democracy
Federalism
Government
Intergovernmental Relations
Judges & magistrates
Judicial reviews
Judicial system
Judiciary
Local government
Minority & ethnic groups
Modern society
Nigeria
Parliaments
Police
Political appointments
Political Change
Political conditions
Political conflict
Political Systems
Politics
Regime transition
Revenue
Sovereignty
State government
Supreme Courts
Tribunals & commissions
title The Supreme Court and federalism in Nigeria
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