The Federal Government has filed a lawsuit against the 36 state governors in the Supreme Court, accusing them of misconduct in the management of local governments and seeking full autonomy for this tier of government.
Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), initiated the legal action, aiming to secure an order that prevents governors from unilaterally dissolving democratically elected local government officials. The suit, identified as SC/CV/343/2024, also requests that local governments receive their funds directly from the Federation Account, bypassing the allegedly unlawful joint accounts established by state governors.
The AGF contends that the governors’ practice of appointing caretaker committees instead of holding democratic elections for local governments violates the Nigerian Constitution. The suit emphasizes that the 1999 Constitution mandates a democratically elected local government system and prohibits any other form of governance at this level.
The suit, based on 27 grounds, argues that the governors’ actions undermine the Constitution, which defines Nigeria’s federal structure and the roles of federal, state, and local governments. It asserts that continued funding to states without democratically elected local governments violates constitutional provisions.
The Federal Government has presented supporting affidavits and referenced several online publications to highlight the national importance and public interest in achieving local government autonomy. The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for Thursday, May 30, 2024.
