**The Real Power Lies with the US Congress** Imagine if the Nigerian President could send troops to the Niger Delta without the approval of the National Assembly. It would be a monumental overreach of power and a brazen disregard for the separation of powers enshrined in our Constitution. Yet, this is precisely the situation that has unfolded in the United States, where the President's ability to wage war has been a subject of intense debate. Recently, the US Senate failed to pass a resolution that would have limited President Trump's power to launch military strikes against Iran without congressional approval. This move has reignited a long-standing debate about the balance of powers in the US government. According to the country's founding documents, the power to declare war lies with the Congress, not the President. This is a crucial distinction that has significant implications for Nigeria, where our own democratic system is modeled after the US Constitution. The US Constitution explicitly states that Congress has the power to declare war, and the President serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. However, in the post-9/11 era, the US has moved away from this principle, and Presidents have increasingly relied on their authority as Commander-in-Chief to launch military operations without congressional approval. The result has been a weakening of the separation of powers and an erosion of congressional authority. The failure to pass the resolution limiting President Trump's power has sparked concerns about the potential for future military conflicts without proper oversight. In Nigeria, we have our own experiences with executive overreach, from the Boko Haram insurgency to the ongoing fight against banditry in the northwestern states. The importance of a robust system of checks and balances cannot be overstated, particularly in times of crisis. As the US grapples with the implications of its actions in Iran, it is clear that the power to declare war lies with Congress, not the President. The US Congress must assert its authority and hold the President accountable for any future military actions. Nigeria, too, must draw lessons from this experience and ensure that our own democratic institutions are equipped to prevent executive overreach and ensure accountability. Only then can we truly claim to be a nation of laws, not men.