No One Can Revisit Supreme Court Ruling on LG Autonomy — AGF

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has firmly stated that neither any state nor individual has the power to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.

Speaking during a media chat in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, Fagbemi emphasized that the Supreme Court’s decision is final and binding, requiring full compliance from all parties.

His remarks followed the recent passage of the Anambra State Local Government Administration Law 2024, which Governor Chukwuma Soludo defended as a necessary response to the complexities surrounding complete local government autonomy. Soludo had commented, “Absolute autonomy for the 774 local government areas in the country is unrealistic and could lead to chaos if not carefully structured.”

However, Fagbemi dismissed any notion of altering the Supreme Court’s ruling, stating, “Are they going to rewrite the judgment of the Supreme Court? Once we thoroughly examine the specifics of their law, we will take appropriate action.”

Addressing speculation of a three-month grace period for implementing the ruling, Fagbemi clarified, “There is no such moratorium. The judgment was delivered, but we recognized the need to establish certain frameworks before full implementation. Nonetheless, compliance is mandatory, and no one can avoid it.”

Fagbemi further explained that the federal government is adopting a careful approach to prevent legal challenges during the enforcement process. He noted, “Some states have elections scheduled beyond October, and we are reviewing whether those timelines are permissible. We do not want to rush into implementation that might lead to legal complications or potential nullification by the courts.”

He concluded with a stern warning to any state contemplating defiance of the Supreme Court ruling, stating, “I am aware that one or two states are heading in that direction, but they must understand there is no grace period for anyone. The judgment will be enforced.”

Fagbemi reiterated that any state attempting to bypass the ruling would be in contempt of court.