Former Senate President and National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has sounded a warning about the precarious state of Nigeria’s legislative arm, stating that weak legislators are often held hostage by state governors.
Mark made this assertion at the public presentation of the book: “The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria” in Abuja, where he delivered a candid assessment of the power imbalance between the executive and the legislature in Nigeria’s democratic system.
According to Mark, the legislature, despite being the backbone of democracy, remained the most vulnerable and attacked arm of government.
He attributed this vulnerability to the enormous influence wielded by governors, who often controlled party machinery and political structures in their states.
Mark warned that this could lead to a situation where legislators were forced to toe the governor’s line, lest they faced denial of party tickets or other forms of political harassment.
However, Mark emphasised that this situation was reversible.
He noted that when a legislator was deeply rooted in their constituency with massive grassroots backing, the balance of power changed.
“If you are strong in your constituency, instead of being at the mercy of your governor, the governor will be at your mercy,” he said.
Mark’s assertion highlights the need for legislators to build strong grassroots support and for Nigerians to demand more from their elected representatives.
As the author of the book, Senator Effiong Bob, noted, the memoir was intended as a practical handbook for current and aspiring legislators, detailing the path to parliament, the realities of legislative work, and the pressures of representation.
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