The former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has advised President Bola Tinubu to instruct the Attorney-General of the Federation to enforce the Supreme Court judgment on financial autonomy for the Local Governments.
Atiku Abubakar who made the call on his X handle on Wednesday, stated that by July next year, the administration would have spent two full years deliberately ignoring a binding judgment of the Supreme Court directing the Federal Government to implement direct FAAC allocation to local governments.
TheFact Daily reports that on Thursday, July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgement of its seven-member panel, broke the chains of captivity, granting financial autonomy to the nation’s 774 local governments.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, who delivered the lead judgement, held that the local governments across the country should, from July 11, 2024, receive their allocations directly from the Accountant-General of the Federation, adding that it was illegal and unconstitutional for governors to receive and withhold funds allocated to local government areas (LGAs) in their states.
“It is the position of this court that the federation can pay local governments allocations directly to the local governments or through the states. In this case, since paying them through the states has not worked, justice demands that local government allocations from the federation account should henceforth be paid directly to the local governments,” Mr. Agim ruled.
He said, “I hold that the states’ retention of local government funds is unconstitutional.
“The amount standing to the credit of local government councils must be paid by the federation to the local government councils and not by any other person or body.
“An order of injunction is hereby granted restraining the defendants from collecting funds belonging to the local government councils when no democratically elected local government councils are in place.
“An order that henceforth no state government should be paid monies standing to the credit of the local government councils.
“An order for immediate enforcement and compliance with these orders by the state governments and successive governments henceforth,” he ruled.
He noted that the President’s refusal to enforce the judgement was weakening the governors, crippling communities, stalling development, and deepening poverty at the grassroots. As Roads remain broken, health centres abandoned, and salaries unpaid.
“Local governments are the closest arm of government to the people. By withholding their financial autonomy (which ironically you’ve been trumpeting as a core cardinal policy), you are not weakening governors, you are crippling communities, stalling development, and deepening poverty at the grassroots. Roads remain broken, health centres abandoned, salaries unpaid—not by accident, but by choice.
“This situation does not require threats of Executive Orders or political drama. The solution is simple: instruct the Attorney-General of the Federation to enforce the judgment immediately. Anything short of this is a failure of leadership,” Atiku submitted.
He alleged that his refusal to act was a calculated political move to force opposition governors into the APC and to keep governors within the party firmly under his control.
“This is not delay. It is defiance. Your refusal to act is a calculated political move—using obedience to the law as a bargaining chip to force opposition governors into the APC and to keep governors within your party firmly under your control.
“In doing so, you have reduced the Constitution to a tool of convenience and governance to partisan bargaining.
“Let us be clear: Supreme Court judgments are final, not optional. Persistently refusing to enforce one is a direct breach of the Constitution and a violation of the oath you swore to Nigerians.
“Your continued inaction sends a clear message: that political control matters more than constitutional duty, that party dominance matters more than economic justice, and that regime survival outweighs the daily suffering of Nigerians already battered by harsh economic policies.
“Nigeria deserves leadership that obeys the law it swore to protect, not one that bends it for political gain.
“History will not forget this moment. Nigerians will not either,” he said.
