Weaponising oversight weakens democracy, Barau warns

The Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, has warned that politicisation and weaponisation of legislative oversight undermine public trust and weaken democratic institutions.

Barau gave the warning on Wednesday while delivering a lecture at the 2026 convocation ceremony of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, in a lecture titled: “Managing Executive–Legislature Relations towards Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic”.

He explained that legislative oversight was a core constitutional responsibility aimed at promoting transparency, accountability and good governance, but warned that it must not be turned into a tool for political vendetta.

He said, “When oversight is driven by partisan interests or personal rivalries, it loses its democratic essence.”

He further said democratic consolidation went beyond periodic elections and required strong institutions, respect for constitutional boundaries and constructive engagement among the arms of government.

He stressed that the separation of powers under the 1999 constitution did not imply hostility between the executive and legislature, but structured interaction and mutual respect.

He added, “Separation of powers presupposes cooperation, not confrontation. Where oversight is abused, democratic trust is the first casualty.”

Barau observed that executive–legislative relations since 1999 had alternated between cooperation and conflict, partly due to executive dominance inherited from military rule, weak legislative capacity and excessive partisanship.

He identified the budget process as a major point of friction, attributing delays to trust deficits and poor engagement rather than constitutional flaws, and called for regular dialogue, stronger legislative capacity and strict adherence to constitutionalism.

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