Abstract
In recent times, some bicameral legislatures are proposing the eradication of their second chambers. In March 2017, Mauritanian president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, announced that a referendum would take place to determine whether or not the senate would be abolished (NEWS24 2017). The constitutional amendment process, which started in 1991, reached a stalemate when a majority member of the senate voted against the proposal. In Canada, opinion polls indicated that a majority of the citizens supported either the reform or abolition of the senate (Kennedy 2015; Trimble 2014). In 2012, the Senegalese senate was abolished (Allison 2012; Magaji 2016).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ajani, Jide and Aziken, Emmanuel. 2009. ‘Senate-House face off: Beyond the distractions’. Vanguard, November 21. Available at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/11/senate-house-face-off-beyond-the-distractions/
Allison, Simon. 2012. Senegal abolishes senate: selfless gesture or selfish politicking? Daily Maverick, September 21. Available at: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-09-21-senegal-abolishes-senate-selfless-gesture-or-selfish-politicking/
Awotokun, Kunle. 1998. Government and Legislative Control in Nigeria: Lessons from the Second and Third Republics. Bethesda: International Scholars Publications.
Azu, John. 2015. ‘Immunity clause should be retained – Okonkwo’. Daily Trust, Aug 4. Available at https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/daily/index.php/law/61576-immunity-clause-should-be-retained-okonkwo
Bashir, Mohammed Umar and Nwanesi, Peter Karubi. 2016. ‘Immunity clause and white collar crimes in Nigeria: a call for the withdrawal of immunity clause’. Quest Journals Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science 4(9), pp. 60-65.
Bochel, H., & Defty, A. (2012). ‘A more representative chamber: Representation and the House of Lords’. Journal of Legislative Studies, 18(1), 82–97.
Coakley, J. (2013). Reforming political institutions: Ireland in comparative perspective. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration.
Coakley, John. 2014. ‘The Strange Revival of Bicameralism’. The Journal of Legislative Studies, 20:4, 542-572, DOI: 10.1080/13572334.2014.926168
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)
Drexhage, Betty, 2015. Bicameral Legislatures: An International Comparison. The Hague: Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Directorate of Constitutional Affairs and Legislation.
Ekott, Ini. 2013. ‘Nigerians demand immunity clause amendment’. Premium Times, April 18. Available at: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/130272-nigerians-demand-immunity-clause-amendment.html
Fagbadebo, Omololu. 2016. ‘Examining the Politics of impeachment in the Nigerian Presidential System: Insights from selected states in the Fourth Republic, 1999-2007. A PhD dissertation University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Kennedy, Mark. 2015. ‘Most Canadians want Senate reformed, not abolished: poll’. National Post, December 30. Available at: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/most-canadians-want-senate-reformed-not-abolished-poll
Lafenwa, Stephen. 2009. ‘The Legislature and the Challenges of Democratic Governance in Africa: The Nigerian Case’. A paper presented at the conference on Governance and Development on Democratisation in Africa: Retrospective and future Prospects University of Leeds, December 4-5.
Magaji, Haruna. 2016. ‘Senegal Votes to get Rid of its Senate to Save Money’, Financial Watch, April 20. Available at: http://www.financialwatchngr.com/2016/04/20/senegal-votes-get-rid-senate-save-money/
Martin, S., Saalfeld, T., and Strom, K. W. 2014. ‘Introduction’. In Martin, S., Saalfeld, T., and Strom, K. W. The Oxford Handbook on Legislative Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Madison, James. 1788 [2008]. ‘The Senate Continued’. The Federalist Paper, No 63. Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale University Law School.
Majebi, Emmanuel. 2009. ‘The Senate/House of Representatives imbroglio: A legal perspective’. Vanguard, November 27. Available at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/11/the-senate-house-of-representatives-imbroglio-a%2D%2Dperspective
MAMSER, 1987. Report of the Political Bureau. Abuja: The Directorate for Mass Mobilisation.
Mba, Peter. 2014. ‘Demystifying Intra-Legislative Conflicts in Nigeria: The Senate and the House of Representatives, 2007-2011’. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 5 (1), 677-690, Doi:10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n1p677
Montesquieu, de baron. 1752 (2006). The Spirit of Laws. Raleigh, NC: Hayes Baron Press.
NEWS24, 23/03/2017. ‘Mauritania vows referendum to abolish Senate, change flag’. Available at: http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/mauritania-vows-referendum-to-abolish-senate-change-flag-20170323
Norton, P. 2013. Parliament in British Politics, 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Nwabueze, B. 2009. Reps. Walk-Out on JCCR Retreat, Sunday Independent, February 1.
Nwabueze, B. O. 1982. A Constitutional History of Nigeria. London: C. Hurst and Company.
Obadan, M. 2014. ‘The National Assembly and federal budget’. In L. Hamalai & R. Suberu (Eds.), The National Assembly and democratic governance in Nigeria (pp. 154-196). Abuja: National Assembly.
Oladesu, Emmanuel. 2016. ‘Nigerians have poor perception about National Assembly’. The Nation, September 23. Available at: http://thenationonlineng.net/nigerians-poor-perception-national-assembly/
Onuorah, M, Daniel, A, Ogbodo, J. and Jimo, A. (2009).Yar’Adua Presents 2010 Budget by Proxy, The Guardian Wednesday November 25
Oyediran, Oyeleye. 2007. Constitutional Development in Nigeria. Ibadan: Oyediran International Consult.
Oni, Samuel. 2013. ‘The Legislature and Constituency Representation in the Fourth Republic of Nigeria’s Democratic Governance’. Ife PsychologIA, 21(2), 232-241.
Russell, Meg. 2013. The Contemporary House of Lords – Westminster Bicameralism Revived, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Sam-Tsokwa, Albert T. Ngara, Christopher Ochanja. 2016. ‘The National Assembly and the Budget Process in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: Tackling the Challenges of Timeliness’. Canadian Social Science, 12(5), pp. 1-7, DOI:10.3968/8458.
Shell, Donald. 2001. ‘The History of Bicameralism Donald Shell’. The Journal of Legislative Studies, 7:1, 5-18, DOI: 10.1080/714003862.
Tesebelis, George and Money, Jeannette. 1997. Bicameralism: Political Economy of Institutions and Decisions. Cambridge: Oxford University Press.
Trimble, Linda. 2014. ‘Abolition Difficult, Reform Impossible, Status Quo Unacceptable’: Can Canada Fix Its Senate’? Papers on Parliament No. 62, Parliament of Australia, October, 2014. Available at: http://www.aph.gov.au/~/~/link.aspx?_id=D7E48C07056C440598149F458A553AA0&_z=z
Wood, Gordon S. 1998. The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787. Chapel Hill and London: The University of North Carolina Press.
Zwingina, J (2009). Senate/Reps Party Controversy, Sunday Independent, February 1
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Fagbadebo, O. (2019). Inter–Chamber Relations in Nigeria’s Presidential System in the Fourth Republic. In: Fashagba, J., Ajayi, OR., Nwankwor, C. (eds) The Nigerian National Assembly. Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11905-8_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11905-8_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-11904-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-11905-8
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)