Nigeria is a Federal Republic modeled after the United
States, with executive power exercised by the president. The
government of Nigeria is also influenced by the Westminster System
model in the composition and management of the upper and lower houses of
the bicameral legislature.
However, the President of Nigeria is the head
of state, head of government, and head of a multi-party system. Nigerian politics
takes place within a framework of a federal,
presidential, representative democratic republic,
in which Executive power is
exercised by the government. Legislative power is held by the government
and the two chambers of the legislature, the House of
Representatives and the Senate. Together the two chambers make
up the law-making body in Nigeria called the National Assembly, which
serves as a check on the executive arm of government. The highest
judiciary arm of government in Nigeria is the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Nigeria
also practices Baron de Montesquieu's theory of
the separation of powers.
There are however, four distinct systems of law in Nigeria:
Legal system
The law of Nigeria is based on the rule of law, the independence of the Judiciary, and British common law because of the long history of British colonial influence. The legal system is therefore similar to the common law systems used in England and Wales and in other Commonwealth countries. The constitutional framework for the legal system is provided by the Constitution of Nigeria.There are however, four distinct systems of law in Nigeria:
- English Law, which is derived from its colonial past with Britain;
- Common law, (case law development since colonial independence);
- Customary law, which is derived from indigenous traditional norms and practices;
- Sharia law, used in the northern part of the country.
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