Nigerian Government and Politics (Historical Overview)

At  independence in 1960, Nigeria was a federation of three regions namely East, West and North, but in 1963 when the country became a republic, the mid-west was carved out of the western region to become the fourth region. The first republic which lasted from October 1960 to January 1966 witnessed the emergence of multiparty system, with the NPC, NCNC and AG as the three major political parties. In other words, Nigeria emerged from British colonial rule with a multi-party system deemed essentially to democratic governance. However, those political parties were not differentiated or distinguished from each other by any political or economic ideology, they were essentially ethnic and regionally based, and were preoccupied with promoting ethnic and regional interests. Two parties, the Northern people's Congress (NPC) and the Northern  Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), represented and championed the interest of the predominantly Muslim Northern Nigeria. The other leading parties, the National Council of Nigeria Citizens (NCNC) and the Action Group (AG) pursued the interests of the East and West where they were respectively based. The primary interest of the political parties was thus to use Nigeria's constitutional set up, together with the country's wealth and power, to promote ethnic and regional security and well being rather than a national end.
          The first republic was a parliamentary democracy with Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe as the president (Ceremonial Head of State) and sir Abubakar Tafewa Balewa as the prime minister(Executive Head Of Government). The first republic also had a bicameral legislature made up of the senate and the house of representatives. In 1967, just before the advent of the civil war, the Gowon military administration created 12 states from existing four regions. The move appeared to have been a political advance because it was addressed at correcting the structural imbalances and ethno-regional inequalities of the inherited federal structure . In 1976 the Mohammed Obasenjo Administration increased the number of states from 12 to 19, General Babangida raised the number of states  to  21 in 1987 and 30 in 1991 while General Abacha increased the number of states in the country to 36.
      Currently Nigeria is a federal republic under a strong presidential administration, a National Assembly made up of two cambers - a Senate and a House Of  Representatives and a Judiciary. it has 36 states and a Federal Capital Territory. Each of the states is divided into local governments totaling 774. Thus,Nigeria has three tiers of government-National,State and Local.