President Tinubu
By Iyunade Grace
President Bola Tinubu is urging Nigeria’s 36 state governors to respect the financial autonomy of local governments, as mandated by a recent Supreme Court ruling. The Supreme Court had ruled that local governments should receive their allocations directly, rather than through state governments, to ensure they have the funds needed to function effectively .
Tinubu emphasized that local government autonomy is meaningless without financial independence, stating, “There is no autonomy without a funded mandate”. He warned governors that failure to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling could lead to executive action, including direct allocation of funds to local governments from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
The President made these remarks at the 14th National Caucus meeting and the 15th National Executive Committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging governors to take leadership seriously and ensure governance extends to rural communities. He also highlighted plans to introduce state police to tackle insecurity, assuring international partners of Nigeria’s commitment.
Tinubu’s call for compliance comes after the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment, which declared it unconstitutional for state governments to retain or manage funds meant for local councils. The court ordered direct payment of allocations from the Federation Account to local governments, as provided in Section 162(5-8) of the 1999 Constitution.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, reiterated Tinubu’s commitment to implementing local government autonomy, stating it’s essential for deepening democracy and accelerating grassroots development. Governors are being urged to collaborate with the President to restore local government councils to their original purpose
