The Supreme Court of Nigeria has reserved judgment on the Federal Government’s lawsuit seeking full autonomy for the 774 local governments in the country. The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Prince Lateef Fagbemi, filed the suit, which requests the court to restrain state governors from dissolving democratically elected local government leaders and to ensure that funds allocated to local governments from the Federation Account are paid directly to them. The AGF argued that the current practice, where state governors manage these funds, violates the Constitution and undermines local government autonomy.
A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Garba Lawal, heard the arguments from both the Federal Government and the state governors. The governors, represented by their respective State Attorneys-General and Commissioners for Justice, opposed the Federal Government’s request, arguing that the suit should be dismissed.
Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has expressed his opposition to the idea of local government autonomy, stating that it contradicts the principles of true federalism. Speaking at The Platform Nigeria event to mark Democracy Day, Soludo explained that in a true federal system, states should have the authority to design their local government systems without interference from the central government. He cited the example of counties in the United States, which do not receive funds directly from the federal government.
The Supreme Court’s decision on this matter is awaited, as it will have significant implications for the structure of local governance in Nigeria.
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