Week topic

1. 
   Political Authority. This is the right to rule, make and implement law for a state or country. The right to exercise political authority is based on the constitutional powers vested in the leaders.
   
2. 
   Judicial Authority: This is the power of judges to give judgment in courts and secure obedience from the public. The power pf judges to exercise judicial authority stems from constitutional powers vested in judges and the powers attached to their office.
   
3. 
   Military Authority: This is the legitimate power of the armed forces or the military to defend the country from external attack or aggression.
   
4. 
   Administrative Authority: This is the power of the civil servants to make and implement public policies. This right stems from administrative expertise vested in civil servants and the General Orders which regulate the framing of public policy in the ministries.
   
5. 
   Charismatic Authority. This type of authority is based on the exceptional or special natural gifts of a political leader which make people accept, respect and obey him. Such unique natural gifts or qualities may include eloquence, intelligence, physical appeal, honesty etc. Examples are, Mahatma Ghandi of India, Martin Luther King of America, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and in Nigeria, the likes of late Sir Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.
   

The word “legitimacy” is coined from the Latin word “legitimus” which means according to law. Therefore, as a political concept, legitimacy is defined as a lawful and constitutional claim to power. Legitimacy is the acceptability of government and political system by the people. It may also be defined as attributes of authority based on the belief or perception by the citizens of a state that the governing authority is rightly constituted and therefore, worthy of obedience. It is a generalized feeling or perception by the people that those in power have the right to make binding and authoritative decisions for the country. They are regarded as lawful. A government is legitimate if it has come into office through a recognized and accepted procedure such as free and fair elections.