Donald Duke, former Governor of Cross River State, has said that the recent Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy can only be effective with a constitutional amendment.
He emphasized that, according to the constitution, local government elections must be conducted by the states, making local governments fall under state jurisdiction.
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Speaking at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Stakeholders Summit in Port Harcourt, Duke expressed reservations about the Supreme Court’s decision.
“For the judgment to be effective, we need a constitutional amendment,” he stated.
He questioned whether local governments are truly federating units and argued that they should be governed by state laws, as they are creations of the states.
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Duke pointed out that the constitution defines the responsibilities of federal and state governments but does not clearly outline the role of local governments.
He stressed that local governments should exist but remain under state guidance.
“The problem they are trying to avoid is giving full autonomy to the states. The Federal Government is not necessarily more responsible than the states,” he added.
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He highlighted the need for a constitutional amendment to resolve these conflicts, noting that if governors are the chief executives and responsible for state security, local governments cannot have full autonomy.
Duke called for a clear delineation of powers and responsibilities, emphasizing that local governments must be accountable to state legislatures.
Duke also referenced historical conflicts, such as when President Olusegun Obasanjo withheld Lagos State’s resources after then-Governor Bola Tinubu created constitutionally unrecognized development areas.
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He pointed out that local government elections are conducted by state electoral commissions, further underscoring state control over local governments.
Duke argued that any effort to achieve local government autonomy must be carefully structured and constitutionally supported to avoid conflicts and ensure effective governance.
