The Supreme Court of Nigeria has delivered a judgment declaring unconstitutional the practice of state governors withholding funds intended for local government administrations across the country.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, delivering the lead judgment, emphasized that state governments’ refusal to grant financial autonomy to local governments had persisted for over two decades. He noted that local government councils had been deprived of their rightful allocations, which were instead managed by state governors.
The court dismissed preliminary objections raised by the state governors as defendants in the case. The suit, brought by the Attorney-General of the Federation, sought to prevent governors from arbitrarily dissolving democratically elected councils and was argued on 27 grounds. Justice Agim affirmed the AGF’s authority to bring the suit in defense of the constitution.
As a result of the ruling, the Supreme Court directed that allocations from the Federation Account intended for local governments should be paid directly to them moving forward.
