Publius: The Journal of Federalism Advance Access published online on June 4, 2009
Publius: The Journal of Federalism, doi:10.1093/publius/pjp016
Shariah in Northern Nigeria in the Light of Asymmetrical Federalism
*Keele University; mhabolaji{at}hotmail.com
In the debate that ensued after the extension of Shariah to the penal codes in northern Nigeria, there emerged, among other things, the thesis that the extension of Shariah can be accommodated under asymmetrical federalism. Many analysts have accepted this thesis uncritically. The main thrust of this article is to explore the main dimensions of the theory of asymmetrical federalism and find out whether the extension of Shariah to the penal codes in northern Nigeria can be accommodated under the theory of asymmetrical federalism. The article argues that the extension of Shariah to the penal codes in northern Nigeria represents an unusual form of asymmetrical federalism.