Personality and Legislative Stability in Nigeria’s 6th and 7th National Assembly

Abstract

This paper interrogates the influence of leadership personality on legislative stability in Nigeria’s National Assembly from 2007 to 2015. The study deployed descriptive research design in analysing the personality of Senator David Mark, as President of the Senate andChairman of the 6th and 7thNational Assembly using the Big Five Factor Personality dimensions. A combination of secondary sources, key informant interview and modified Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI), was employed; anddata analysed using mean average of observer ratings. The paper argues thatfrom1999 to 2007, the National Assemblywas highlyunstable and for the most part locked in afrosty relationship with the executive arm of government. However, between 2007 and 2015, the situation dramatically changed intoone of relativeinternal stability and improvedrelations with the executive. This stability was attributed to the positive influence of the personality of Senator David Mark as Chairman of the National Assembly. The paper concludes thatthe National Assembly should invest in profiling personality trait in choosing its leaders in order to entrenchinstitutional harmony, intergovernmental cooperation and political stability.