The Supreme Court of Nigeria has endorsed autonomy for the country’s 774 local governments, effectively ending state governors’ interference in their affairs. The ruling mandates that local government allocations from the Federation Account be paid directly to them, barring state governors from receiving, tampering with, or withholding these funds.
In his lead judgment, Justice Emmanuel Agim observed that state governments have refused financial autonomy to local governments for over two decades. He noted that local governments have not received the funds intended for them, as state governors have acted on their behalf.
Justice Agim emphasized that the 774 local government councils should manage their funds independently. He dismissed the preliminary objections of the defendants (state governors), affirming that the Accountant General of the Federation has the right to institute the suit and uphold the constitution.
Additionally, the court barred governors from dissolving democratically elected local government officials, stating that such actions would constitute a breach of the 1999 Constitution.
