Presidency Issues Statement Following Supreme Court Decision On Local Government Autonomy

Presidency Issues Statement Following Supreme Court Decision On Local Government Autonomy

The presidency has responded to the Supreme Court’s decision on local government autonomy, which ruled that all federal allocations for local government councils must be directly deposited into their respective accounts. Justice Emmanuel Agim, leading a panel of seven justices, emphasized that local government allocations should no longer be combined in joint accounts with states but should instead be separately managed by each local government……… CONTINUE READING

The federal government, represented by Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had filed suit SC/CV/343/2024 seeking autonomy for the 774 local governments from the control of the 36 state governors. Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, detailed the government’s stance on the ruling, highlighting the Supreme Court’s prohibition on governors from accessing or manipulating funds meant for local governments. The court also ruled against the dissolution of democratically elected local government officials, deeming such actions unconstitutional.

In response, Ebonyi State Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Ben Odoh stated he awaits the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment before determining the next steps. As of the report’s filing, Nigeria’s Attorney General, Fagbemi, had not issued an official statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision.