Parliamentarism or Presidentialism and Democratic Practice: Which way for Nigeria?

Abstract

Government is the determinate agent of the State designed to express the will of the State aimed at satisfying the interests of the people. The system of government adopted by nations of the world, to accomplish this task could vary, including the Parliamentary and Presidential systems. Ultimately, the required end-result is the satisfaction of the interest of the citizens which is the essence of democratic practice. These popular systems of government have been used differently by nations of the world and have obtained good governance but why is this not the case with Nigeria which has experienced the use of both systems? This study set out to identify the cause of this anomaly, whether in terms of the system type or its implementation. The methodology adopted is majorly qualitative but with an objective analysis of key issues and processes relating to the systems of government. The results of this study will be useful to political leaders in government globally but particularly in developing countries of the world as well as scholars of public administration. Findings revealed that nothing was wrong with either of the two systems of government but rather the will to effectively implement the tenets of either, was defective. Some recommendations were posited to create a hopeful future of success in governance in Nigeria, even with the current presidential system.