President Bola Tinubu is fast becoming frustrated by the continued failure of State Governors to comply with the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments, and has warned that further failure could prompt decisive presidential executive action.
The President on Friday night told members of his ruling party at the 15th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja that his government remains committed to enforcing the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy.
“The Supreme Court has said, ‘give them their money directly.’ If you wait for my Executive Order, because I have the knife, I have the yam, I will cut it.
“I’m being respectful and understanding with my governors. Otherwise, if you don’t start to implement it, FAAC after FAAC, you will see your allocation dwindling,” Tinubu stressed.
NewsQuest reports that the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment on July 11, 2024, granting financial and administrative autonomy to the country’s 774 local government areas (LGAs).
The ruling, in the case of Attorney General of the Federation v. Attorney General of Abia State & 35 Ors, declared it unconstitutional for State Governors to withhold LGA funds from the Federation Account, dissolve councils, or appoint caretaker committees.
The apex court, in its judgment, also mandated direct payments of LGA allocations from the Federation Account, bypassing joint States-LGA accounts, and prohibited States from interfering in LGA finances or operations, affirming LGAs as the third tier of government.
Six Months after the Supreme Court judgement, Governors continue to interfere in administration, and direct payments remain inconsistent without full implementation.
President Tinubu supports local government autonomy with a firm belief that their freedom will assist to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy at the grassroots level and promote development closer to the people.
