Enforce Supreme Court ruling on LG autonomy, Atiku tells Tinubu

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged President Bola Tinubu to implement a Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to local governments, warning that continued delay harms communities at the grassroots.

Atiku made the call in a statement posted on his official X page on Wednesday, noting that the government has spent nearly two years without enforcing the Supreme Court’s directive.

“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,” he wrote.

Atiku stressed that withholding financial autonomy undermines local governance and development.

“Local governments are the closest arm of government to the people. By withholding their financial autonomy, you are not weakening governors—you are crippling communities, stalling development, and deepening poverty at the grassroots,” he added.

He called on the President to instruct the Attorney-General of the Federation to enforce the judgment immediately, saying, “The solution is simple. Anything short of this is a failure of leadership.”

President Tinubu had earlier addressed the issue during the 15th National Executive Committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress, urging state governors to comply with the Supreme Court verdict.

He warned that non-compliance might compel him to issue an Executive Order to ensure direct allocations from the Federation Account to local councils.

“The Supreme Court has capped it for you again, saying, ‘give them their money directly.’ If you wait for my Executive Order… I will cut it,” Tinubu said, emphasising the importance of timely implementation.

The Supreme Court ruling, delivered on July 11, 2024, upheld the Federal Government’s suit seeking to enforce financial independence for local governments, affirming their right to direct allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee.

culled from punch.