Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has criticised what he described as the weakening of Nigeria’s democratic institutions, saying a legislature that cannot stand up to the executive cannot be regarded as strong.
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Sanusi, in a widely circulated address, said democracy can only function when institutions are independent and when those entrusted with public offices place institutional responsibility above loyalty to individuals, political parties or personal interests.
According to him, the legislature loses its constitutional identity when it merely serves as an extension of the executive instead of checking, questioning and holding it accountable.
“If the legislature cannot stand up to the executive, and it is an arm of the executive, then that is not a strong legislature,” Sanusi said.
“When we say strong institutions, this is what we mean. The only way institutions are going to work is when the people manning those institutions are responsible to those institutions.”
The former CBN governor said strong institutions are not defined by titles, buildings or formal structures, but by their ability to resist improper influence, abuse of power and executive overreach.
He said the principle of separation of powers requires the legislature to act as an independent branch of government, with the courage and constitutional authority to investigate, challenge and, where necessary, reject executive actions that violate the law or undermine public interest.
Sanusi was particularly critical of what he described as a legislature that now “obeys, not probes,” warning that such conduct weakens democratic accountability and creates the impression of a democracy without effective checks and balances.
He recalled that during his time as CBN governor, he was repeatedly summoned by legislative committees, questioned and scrutinised over policy decisions and institutional actions.
However, he expressed concern that the same level of scrutiny was allegedly absent in later years when, according to him, serious breaches occurred, including alleged violations of the legal limit on lending by the Central Bank to the Federal Government.
Sanusi noted that the law restricts the Central Bank from lending the executive more than five per cent of the previous year’s revenue, but alleged that the provision was breached “with impunity” while the legislature failed to act.
He said such silence from an institution constitutionally empowered to provide oversight raises serious questions about the independence and effectiveness of the legislature.
The former CBN governor also linked the problem to a deeper failure of values among public office holders, saying institutions collapse when those who run them prioritise wealth, comfort, political survival or loyalty to powerful individuals over the duties of their offices.
According to him, laws and structures alone cannot save a democracy if the people entrusted with enforcing them lack courage, integrity and a sense of responsibility.
Sanusi said public officers must understand that their first duty is to the institution they serve and the citizens they represent, not to the executive or any political benefactor.
He warned that when lawmakers abandon oversight and become submissive to the executive, the democratic system becomes vulnerable to abuse, corruption and one-branch dominance.
He added that democracy requires active institutional friction, where each arm of government performs its role without fear or favour.
Sanusi’s remarks have continued to generate reactions, with many observers describing them as a broader warning about Nigeria’s governance crisis, legislative independence and the need to rebuild public confidence in democratic institutions.
His message, according to analysts, goes beyond the National Assembly and speaks to the larger question of whether Nigeria’s institutions are strong enough to restrain abuse of power and protect the rule of law.
Sanusi maintained that the survival of democracy depends not merely on elections, but on the strength, independence and integrity of the institutions that sustain constitutional governance.
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