Book: The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria
Author: Senator Effiong Bob
Reviewer: Akpandem James
Senator Effiong Bob’s recent book, The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria serves as an insightful follow-up to Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia’s 2009 work Banana Peel: The Burden of Legislature in Nigeria. The two books beam piercing searchlights into the intricate issues that define Nigeria’s legislative endeavours. While Ogbonnia examined legislative power and constitutional law within Nigeria’s democracy, Bob delves deeper into the human, institutional and political complexities of legislative service in the Fourth Republic.
Spanning 508 pages of discursive narratives, Bob’s work combines memoir, political history and institutional analysis to illuminate the realities of representation and governance from an insider’s perspective.
Based on interviews with key Senate and House of Representatives figures of the Fourth Republic, with the notable exception of former Senate President Bukola Saraki, the book offers a candid view of the Nigerian legislative experience, covering nomination hurdles, party intrigues, the pervasive challenge of godfatherism and, most especially, constituent pressure. It traces the journey from party nomination battles to the personal toll of maintaining a mandate, highlighting democracy’s participatory strength over military rule while advocating comprehensive reforms to reposition the legislature within Nigeria’s governance structure.
At its core, the book offers a sober examination of what it truly means to be a legislator, beyond public myths and media narratives. Organised into 10 thematic chapters, it begins by defining the legislature and its functions. It subsequently explores the personal, structural and systemic burdens lawmakers bear in serving their constituencies. Insights from Senate Presidents Anyim Pius Anyim, Ken Nnamani, David Mark, Ahmad Lawan and Godswill Akpabio enrich the narrative with firsthand perspectives on institutional dynamics within the Nigerian Senate and broader legislature.
The book contextualises the Nigerian legislature’s constitutional roles and responsibilities, framing it as a critical pillar of democratic governance. It carefully charts the functions of the legislature, from lawmaking and representation to oversight and budgetary control, underscoring the foundational significance of the institution within Nigeria’s political system. This section not only educates readers on the technical workings of the legislature but also sets the thematic trajectory for exploring deeper systemic and personal burdens borne by legislators.
A key strength of the book is its authenticity and broad scope. By including voices from both national chambers and state legislatures, Bob reveals how nomination battles, godfatherism and “pre-election walls” distort democratic processes even before lawmakers take office. The discussion of godfatherism particularly exposes how patronage politics undermines merit and compromises legislative independence in Nigeria’s evolving democracy. The book details how powerful individuals or political overlords manipulate candidate selection and exert undue influence over legislators once in office, subordinating representatives to their personal interests rather than those of their constituents or constitutional mandates.
Thematically, the book situates the burdens of leadership and service as moral and psychological weights carried by legislators in a society marked by a wide gap between expectations and demands. The recurring motif of “pressure from home and away” is among the book’s most compelling insights. Constituents, often impoverished or uninformed about legislative functions, impose enormous demands on their representatives, viewing them as personal providers rather than policymakers. Through reflections by Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw and the story of Senator Ikechukwu Godson Abana, Bob humanises the intense pressures that can demoralise or end political careers.
Bob’s prose is accessible yet intellectually grounded, combining personal reflection with empirical observations. On the surface, the book reads like a pathos-driven political narrative, but a deeper dive does not make it a defense of legislators per se, but aims to “invoke the past for the good of the present and the benefit of the future”. It argues that despite its flaws, democracy offers far greater opportunity for participatory governance than authoritarian alternatives.
Significantly, the author challenges the pervasive myth of legislative opulence by documenting legislators who left office financially depleted, worn down by political conspiracies and relentless demands from constituents. This refutation of the “obscene wealth” myth adds a layer of empathy to the narrative, portraying legislators as public servants living through challenging conditions rather than beneficiaries of systemic greed. This demystification gives impetus to his central argument: the true burden of legislators lies not in luxury, but in serving amid impossible expectations.
The narrative also highlights a tension between institutional and personal responsibility, emphasising that constituent pressures, often rooted in poverty and misplaced expectations, constitute the major legislative burden. The book suggests implementing targeted policy reforms aimed at effectively aligning governance with the genuine needs of citizens; and emphasises the importance of reducing dependency-based relationships that can distort legislative priorities.
The foreword by former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Philip Afaha, situates the book within Nigeria’s ongoing struggle for institutional reform and democratic consolidation. Afaha, a Professor of History and expert in parliamentary democracy, affirms the book’s value as a strategic blueprint for reform; and underscores Bob’s insistence on legislative experience as vital for continuity and institutional maturity. However, while supporting longer tenures to deepen legislative quality, Afaha noted that the electorate retains ultimate authority over the longevity of representatives, necessitating respect for voter choice even when it conflicts with calls for institutional stability.
The book’s cornflower-blue cover embossed with a gold gavel reflects its tone – scholarly and grounded in Nigerian democratic realities. Drawing from historical reflection and empirical insights, the book proposes comprehensive reform strategies targeted at reinvigorating the legislature. It advocates policy shifts to better align legislative responsibilities with realistic governance frameworks and constituent expectations, aiming to relieve legislators from debilitating pressures while enhancing democratic accountability.
The work particularly calls for tackling godfatherism through institutional checks, promoting meritocratic candidacy processes and encouraging political culture change to fortify democratic norms. Equally, it suggests voter education initiatives and social development policies to address the root causes of constituent entitlement and unrealistic demands.
The Burden of Legislators in Nigeria, therefore, makes a seminal contribution to Nigeria’s democratic literature. It blends historical recall, lived experience and practical recommendations to deepen understanding of legislative politics and offer pathways toward stronger democratic governance. By illuminating the entrenched challenges of godfatherism and relentless constituent pressures, the author calls for urgent reforms to restore the Nigerian legislature’s integrity and functionality. It ultimately serves as a vital guide for those aspiring to serve and for stakeholders committed to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions, fostering a governance culture where legislative service is respected, empowered and effective.
This comprehensive work enriches Nigeria’s democratic literature, urging a collective reflection on the shared responsibilities between representatives and the represented in building a resilient and participatory democracy. The book, billed for public presentation in the latter part of November 2025, is in three versions – paperback, hardcover and electronic. It is published by Premium Times Books.
Bob has a rich profile in law and parliamentary duties. He was the Deputy Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, a Local Government Chairman, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state and a two-time senator representing Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District. While at the Senate, he chaired standing committees, including the Finance Committee, Senate Services Committee and Culture and Tourism Committee, among others. He served twice as a member of the ECOWAS Parliament. Bob is also the author of “Independence of the Legislature in Nigeria: Matters Arising” (2010).
James, a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, is a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors
