A Comparative Analysis of the Roles of the Legislature in Nigeria and South Africa: The Central Legislature in focus

Abstract

South Africa is one of the states that became democratic in Africa in the wake of the 1980s and 1990s democratic resurgence. Prior to this period, the white minority rule dominated South African politics. The reign of terror prevailed under the segregated apartheid regime. Thus, in 1994, the restoration of democracy under a political reform that liberalized the process of governance with a multiparty constitutional democracy, led to the emergence of a completely new era of constitutional democracy (Picard and Mogale 2015; Pypers and Pothier 2015). In a similar manner, after a long democratic hiatus and 16 years of military control of state apparatus and institutions of governance, Nigeria transited into a democratic rule in May 1999. Thus, both Nigeria and South Africa returned to democratic governance in the 1990s with the legislatures saddled with key roles under the new order.