A Study of Executive-Legislature Relationship in the Budget Process of the 7th and 8th Nigeria’s National Assembly

Abstract

The 1999 Constitution (CFRN) as amended assigned roles and responsibilities to the Executives and the Legislature in the budget and process. The Executive prepares the budget, submit and implement same, while the Legislature approve and carried out oversight functions on the executive arm to ensure the compliance with the Appropriation Act as passed. On this note the study examines Executive-Legislature relationship in the budget process between the 7th and the 8th National Assembly. It investigates whether these was executive interference in the budget process of the legislature. Examined the factors responsible for the pattern of the relationship between the arms the budget process and examined the effect of the pattern of their relationship on the governance between them. The study adopted a survey research design with the used of questionnaire and as the instruments for data collection. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the respondents that provided primary data while secondary data were obtained from published materials percentage was used with the aid of statistical package for social science (SPSS16.0) to analyse the data. The analysis revealed that Executive-Legislature relationship in the budget process between the 7th and 8th Assembly was frosty. The findings also revealed that there was Executive interference in the budget process of the Legislature. Further findings revealed that the effect of the pattern of Executive-Legislature relationship in the budget process in both Assemblies had effect on governance that resulted to the delay in budget submission, approvals and poor implementation, poor infrastructural development, low level of employment of the citizens. The study concludes that a cordial Executive-Legislature relationship in the budget process is desirable and fundamental to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the budget process that will enhance development, good governance and democratic consolidation in Nigeria.