Supreme Court to Hear States’ Objection to FG’s Suit on Local Govt Funds

The Attorneys-General of Nigeria’s 36 states have filed objections against the Federal Government’s suit on local government funds, set to be heard by the Supreme Court.

Gombe State’s Attorney General, Zubairu Umar, confirmed the challenge, questioning the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction over the local government funds case initiated by the Federal Government.

The suit, led by Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), is scheduled to begin on Thursday. Previously, a seven-man Supreme Court panel, headed by Justice Garba Lawal, had granted state attorneys-general seven days to file their defense. The court also ordered the AGF to respond to the states’ defenses within two days.

The Federal Government seeks full autonomy for local government councils, alleging state misconduct in local council administration. It has requested the Supreme Court to prevent state governors from dissolving democratically elected local government officials and redirecting funds unlawfully. The AGF has also requested that local government allocations be paid directly from the Federation Account.

However, the states argue the Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction. Gombe’s AG, Umar, stated that local government autonomy is already in place in Gombe, with councils managing their finances independently.

Kwara State also opposes the Federal Government’s suit, arguing that the reliefs sought would harm local government residents. The state’s AG, Ibrahim-Sulyman, emphasized that local government funds must be allocated to the states’ special statutory accounts, as per the Constitution.

The Ogun State government, represented by Commissioner for Justice Sina Ogungbade (SAN), joined the objection, citing jurisdictional issues and lack of specific cause of action against Ogun State.

Other states, including Ondo and Benue, have similarly contested the Federal Government’s standing to bring the suit.

Meanwhile, former INEC National Commissioner Prof. Lai Olurode praised the Federal Government’s move to court, viewing it as a step towards ensuring local government autonomy and reducing state interference. Olurode expressed hope that a favorable ruling would allow local governments to receive funds directly, fostering greater accountability and competition in governance.

The Supreme Court’s decision on this matter will have significant implications for the administration and autonomy of Nigeria’s local governments.

This article is sourced from The Punch newspaper, with minor edits and adaptations by The Spectacles for clarity and readability.