THE REALITY OF THE RULE OF LAW IN NIGERIA

A REVIEW OF THE BUHARI-LED CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT

Abstract

This paper surveys the reality and practicability of the Rule of Law Concept in Nigeria. It went further to understudy the first tenure of the Buhari-Led civilian government in Nigeria which started in 2015 and would be terminated in 2019. This study briefly considered the rule of law in the past before the emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari as the President of Nigeria. Secondary sources of data collection were relied on extensively in this study. Our findings indicated that there exists frequent, audacious non-adherence to the rule of law in Nigeria. This has been the practice in Nigeria more especially during the Military regime. However, the hope that it would subside or vanish during the democratic dispensation under review has failed. The upholding of the law is
just a mere lips-talk instead of being a practical concept in our society. The rule of law has been suppressed by political corruption, poverty, abuse of power, ethnicism, hate speeches, disregard of court orders, to mention but a
few. It is however recommended that the political leaders should make themselves guidable by the laws of the land. The judiciary should exercise their judicial power to do justice at all cost and all citizens should speak up on the
abuse of the rule of law.