The federal government has taken all 36 state governors to the Supreme Court, alleging interference in local government affairs. Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, filed the suit, seeking full autonomy for local government councils as the third tier of government.
The suit, marked SC/CV/343/2024, requests the Supreme Court to prohibit governors from unlawfully dissolving democratically elected local government councils. The AGF also seeks an order to ensure that funds for local governments are directly channelled from the Federation Account, bypassing the alleged unlawful Joint Accounts created by governors.
Additionally, the AGF wants the Court to stop governors from appointing Caretaker Committees to run local governments, emphasizing the need for constitutionally recognized elected councils. An injunction is also sought to prevent governors from handling local government funds when no democratically elected councils exist.
The suit is based on 27 grounds, arguing that the 1999 Constitution mandates a democratically elected local government system and that the governors’ actions subvert this requirement. The Supreme Court has scheduled the hearing for May 30.
JUST-IN: Tinubu Takes 36 Governors to Supreme Court Over Local Government Autonomy
The federal government has taken all 36 state governors to the Supreme Court, alleging interference in local government affairs. Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, filed the suit, seeking full autonomy for local government councils as the third tier of government.
The suit, marked SC/CV/343/2024, requests the Supreme Court to prohibit governors from unlawfully dissolving democratically elected local government councils. The AGF also seeks an order to ensure that funds for local governments are directly channelled from the Federation Account, bypassing the alleged unlawful Joint Accounts created by governors.
Additionally, the AGF wants the Court to stop governors from appointing Caretaker Committees to run local governments, emphasizing the need for constitutionally recognized elected councils. An injunction is also sought to prevent governors from handling local government funds when no democratically elected councils exist.
The suit is based on 27 grounds, arguing that the 1999 Constitution mandates a democratically elected local government system and that the governors’ actions subvert this requirement. The Supreme Court has scheduled the hearing for May 30.