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Political Overview
Political stability has offered Nigerians and investors alike a new path of opportunities
In 2007, Nigeria moved further down the path towards a mature democracy, with the first handover of power from one elected civilian to another. The election of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua after almost a decade of civilian rule by Olusegun Obasanjo was not without its flaws, but was a step forward in confirming the stability of its nascent democracy.President Yar’Adua won the election with 24,638,063 votes, or 69.82 per cent of the total cast. Since then, the president has done much to distinguish himself from his predecessor, emphasising the rule of law and examining many contracts signed by the previous administration, to ensure they are providing value to ordinary Nigerians. From the moment he took office, the president has pledged to tackle corruption and increase the role of the private sector, reducing government intervention where necessary. By 2020, Yar’Adua has a vision for Nigeria to become one of the 20 largest economies in the world.
The three branches of government and the constitution
As head of the executive branch of government, President Yar’Adua is responsible for administering federal decisions, in consultation with Goodluck Jonathan, the vice president, and members of the cabinet, both of whom he appoints. As provided for in the constitution, the president has a dual role as chief of state, the role occupied by the Queen in the UK, to represent the state diplomatically and ceremonially. The president is also the head of the armed forces. He is directly elected to a four-year term, and as with the US constitution, can only serve in office for two terms. While he was president, Olusegun Obasanjo attempted to amend the constitution to enable him to serve for a third term, but was overruled by the National Assembly. Further in common with the US model, the executive branch is constitutionally required to share power equally with the separate branches of judiciary and the legislature.
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