ABSTRACT:

Every Society is faced with one problem or the other. Whatever is the problem, the goal of every government is to solutions to them. One way by which leaders try to solve these problems is through federalism. This paper looks into the origin and practice of federalism in Nigeria. It is argued that the system has not produced the desired results because the various military and civilian rulers have not done enough to make it work. The paper also argues that, contrary to the view of some writers, the Nigerian federal system was not an imposition of the former British Colonial Masters; rather, it was adopted with the full participation and endorsement of Nigerian leaders then, and for the interests of the generality of Nigerians. As the 2015 election gathers momentum, care must be taken so that the country will not fall a victim of self-fulfilling prophecy of disintegration