Analysis of Some Grey Areas in the Operation of Separation of Powers in Nigeria

Interesting as democratic government might be, its success depends on the observance of the doctrine of separation of powers by the respective organs. While separation has been well practised in advanced democracies, as United States of America and Great Britain, the experience in emerging democracies, Nigeria inclusive, has been unrewarding, particularly because several grey areas have remained unresolved. The major objective of this paper therefore, is to examine the sources and nature of the unresolved areas which have inexorably produced rancorous relationships among governmental arms in Nigeria. In the qualitative research design which adopted expository analytical approach, the study found, among others, that it was not constitutional, legal or institutional deficits or lacunae, but human factor that had constituted the major obstacle to the successful practice of separation in Nigeria. To change the paradigm therefore, it was recommended among others, that regular training and retraining, with practical case studies from the experience of advanced democracies, should be conducted, to educate the leaderships of governmental arms, given that expertise or experience in governance is not a prerequisite for political leadership in Nigeria.