President Bola Ahmed Tinubu welcomed the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s decision affirming the constitutional rights of local governments.
He emphasized that this verdict will empower citizens, especially the poor, to hold local leaders accountable for their actions.
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The judgment mandates transparency in local government finances, ensuring services are delivered without excuses.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu highlighted that ineffective local government administration has been a major challenge to Nigeria’s progress.
He noted that governance at the local level has been nearly absent, which has hindered the provision of essential services.
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Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to accountability, Tinubu stated that the Supreme Court’s ruling ensures that elected local officials, not state-appointed caretakers, will control local resources.
This judgment, he said, is a step towards restructuring Nigeria’s governance and economy through legitimate means.
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President Tinubu also pointed out that local governments have struggled to provide essential services due to the interference and control of their funds by state governments.
He praised the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold local government financial autonomy as a historic move that strengthens Nigeria’s federal system.
He commended Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), for his diligent and patriotic efforts in securing this judgment.
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The Supreme Court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, directed the Accountant General of the Federation to directly pay local government allocations into their accounts, declaring the non-remittance of funds by states unconstitutional.
The ruling also nullified the appointment of caretaker chairmen and mandated direct crediting of local government allocations from the federation account.
The court barred governors from dissolving elected local government chairmen and replacing them with caretaker committees, stating that funds for non-elected committees would be withheld.
The 36 state governors, represented by their attorneys general, had challenged the federal government’s action based on Section 162 of the Nigerian Constitution, which provides for a joint account for local government allocations.
The court dismissed this objection, emphasizing that the constitutional provision should not be abused by state governors.
Nigerians across different sectors reacted positively to the judgment.
Former Adamawa State Governor Bala James Ngilari praised the Tinubu administration for securing local government financial autonomy but suggested that local government elections should be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) instead of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to ensure fairness.
Similarly, former Benue State Deputy Governor Chief Stephen Lawani welcomed the ruling but noted that additional measures are needed to make local governments functional and relevant.
He also supported the idea of INEC conducting local government elections to ensure autonomy and relevance.
