Presidency’s Kitchen Cabinet in Nigeria: Why It Matters

Abstract

The term kitchen cabinet refers to a President's informal political supporters who are trusted and closest associates as opposed to official members of his cabinet. This body generally does not favour a multiparty system as it tends to unify all political parties including those in the opposition. This gives considerable protection for the President from opposition attacks and becomes a tool to manipulate political leadership. The author attempts to study the idea of Kitchen cabinet in the case of Nigeria and its influence in achieving transitional justice. The author tries to argue that the failure in establishing transitional justice can be attributed to the style of government adopted by Nigeria’s coloniser, Britain, whose political and administrative legacy continue to be adopted in the country. The excesses of the kitchen cabinet can be controlled through appropriate legislation enshrined in the constitution. This makes the reformation of law to that effect very pertinent. However, such legislation and reformation of law are challenging in the Nigerian context.