Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked President Bola Tinubu to immediately carry out the Supreme Court judgment that grants financial independence to local governments. He said the failure to act on the ruling for nearly two years has slowed development at the local level and increased hardship for communities.
Atiku made the call in a message shared on his official social media page, where he stated that court judgments are binding and must be obeyed. He warned that ignoring a decision of the Supreme Court goes against the Constitution and the oath of office sworn by elected leaders.
He explained that local governments are closest to the people and play a key role in meeting basic needs. According to him, denying councils direct access to their funds weakens service delivery, stalls projects, and worsens poverty across towns and villages.
The former vice president urged the President to give clear instructions to the Attorney-General of the Federation to enforce the judgment without further delay. He added that any other approach would show a lack of commitment to good governance.
President Tinubu had earlier spoken on the matter during a meeting of the All Progressives Congress National Executive Committee. At the meeting, he advised state governors to comply with the Supreme Court decision. He also warned that if the ruling continues to be ignored, he may issue an Executive Order to ensure that local governments receive their allocations directly from the Federation Account.
The Supreme Court ruling, delivered on July 11, 2024, upheld the Federal Government’s case in support of financial independence for local councils. The court affirmed that local governments are entitled to receive their funds directly from the Federation Account Allocation Committee without interference.
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