DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE SAME COIN: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF MILITARY AND DEMOCRATIC RULE ON THE STABILITY OF FEDERALISM IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria’s federalism has been shaped by contrasting experiences under military and
democratic rule, each leaving distinct yet overlapping legacies. This study examines how both regime
types have influenced the federal system in Nigeria, focusing on a number of identified popular ideals
and goals of federalism in the country, namely, structure and balance, fiscal equity, division of powers
and power devolution, and federal character, with the aim of assessing whether the regime types
advanced or undermined federal stability. This study adopts a qualitative research design that relies on
secondary data. This research methodology utilizes a comparative analytical method to evaluate the
political and institutional features of military rule and democratic governance, particularly their impact
on each of the above benchmarks. The findings reveal that military rule undermined federalism through
authoritarian centralization and the imposition of unitary structures which ultimately made federalism
in Nigeria very unstable and prone to conflict. Democratic rule though, continues to face challenges of
corruption, elite domination, and weak institutions that perpetuate structural distortions and instability.
Both systems are thus, to a large extent, different sides of the same coin in Nigeria’s federal experience.
The study concludes that federal stability in Nigeria requires reforms that strengthen state autonomy,
promote equity, and curtail elite manipulation through stronger institutions and deeper democratic
practices.