Breaking News: Tinubu Directs Governors to Enforce Local Government Autonomy, Warns of Supreme Court Sanctions
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed all state governors to immediately implement full local government autonomy in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling, warning that failure to comply will attract legal consequences.
The President issued the warning during the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Caucus meeting at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, stressing that the directive applies to every governor across the country, irrespective of political party.
“Local government autonomy is and must be effective,” Tinubu said. “There is no autonomy without obeying the mandate to give local governments their funds directly. That is full compliance with the Supreme Court.”
His directive follows persistent delays by several state governments in implementing the July 2024 Supreme Court judgment, which ordered that federal allocations be paid directly to the 774 local government councils nationwide.
The apex court ruled that state governors no longer have constitutional powers to withhold, manage or divert funds meant for local councils, declaring such practices illegal and detrimental to grassroots development.
Despite the clarity of the ruling, implementation has remained slow in many states, raising concerns over possible resistance. President Tinubu emphasized that compliance is not optional and warned that any attempt to undermine the judgment could result in judicial sanctions.
The President noted that genuine local government autonomy is essential for strengthening democracy at the grassroots, improving service delivery, and driving development in both rural and urban communities.
He urged governors to respect the rule of law and align with the constitutional framework by granting local councils full financial and administrative independence.