Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Local Government Autonomy in Landmark Case.
The Supreme Court has ruled in a case brought by the Federal Government against the 36 state governors, advocating for local government autonomy.Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), filed the suit, seeking full autonomy and direct fund allocation to the country’s 774 local governments.
Justice Fagbemi urged the apex court to apply sections 1, 4, 5, 7, and 14 of the constitution, asserting that governors and state houses of assembly must ensure democratically elected systems at the local government level.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional for governors to withhold funds intended for local government administrations.
READ MORE: Tinubu Pledges Autonomy To Nigerian Varsities
Justice Agim highlighted that state governments have denied financial autonomy to local governments for over two decades.
He stated that local governments have been deprived of their rightful funds by state governors acting on their behalf.
Emphasizing that the 774 local government councils should manage their own funds, he dismissed the preliminary objections raised by the state governors.
The Supreme Court subsequently ordered that local government allocations from the Federation Account be paid directly to them from now on.
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