IMPACT OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS DYNAMICS BETWEEN 2015 AND 2022 ON NIGERIAN FEDERALISM

Abstract

The paper evaluates unpleasant encounters in intergovernmental relations (IGR) between 2015 and 2022 that generated tensions and by so constituted strains to Nigerian federalism. Accordingly, the paper analyzes pressures to cordial, cooperative and mutual inter-dependent IGR. Its objectives are twofold. The first is to use the sociological view of federalism as a model to explain the contradictions of IGR across different strata in Nigeria during the study period. The second one is to propose institutional policy engineering mechanisms that need to be instituted to help mitigate and avoid contradictions emanating from IGR in the Nigerian federation beyond the understudied period. Hence, the paper’s theoretic model is the sociological view of federalism which posits that an intrinsic linkage does exist between the dominant attitude, ideology, sentiments, behaviour and values in politics society qua society and the realpolitik of federal governance. It adopts the methodology of textual qualitative epistemology and content analysis to evolve inferences and interpretations from data. By so, the paper generates middle-level theoretic assertions to explain the impact of IGR strains during President Mohammadu Buhari's reign in terms of governmental capacity to deliver good governance and national development and suggest necessary politico-institutional measures to curtail their effects. Findings reveal that federal-state government relations were often bitter and uncooperative, while state-local government relations mostly revolved around the principal-agent kind of interrelations. The paper advocates for increased constitutional amendment exercise to promote decentralization by devolution from the federal to the states domains, and states to local political authorities.