The House of Representatives has urged the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to withhold allocations from the Federation Account to Local Government Areas (LGAs) that are managed by unelected officials. This directive was issued on Tuesday following a motion of urgent public importance presented by Hon. Ademorin Kuye (Lagos) and Hon. Jonathan Gaza Gbewfi (Nasarawa).
The motion addressed the widespread refusal by state governments to uphold democratic principles and the financial mismanagement within local governments. The House has recommended that RMAFC create a special account where allocations for LGAs without elected officials will be deposited until democratic elections are conducted by the respective state governments.
Additionally, the House called on the Attorney-General of the Federation to initiate legal actions against any state that terminates the tenure of elected local government officials prematurely.
Hon. Kuye highlighted Section 7 of the Nigerian Constitution, which mandates local governments to be run by democratically elected officials, and requires state governments to ensure their existence. He emphasized that this section also obligates state assemblies to legislate on the establishment, tenure, structure, composition, finance, and functions of these councils.
Kuye remarked that local governments are crucial as they are the closest tier of government to the people and serve as the foundation for both state and federal governments.
He recalled that in December 2023, the Senate passed a resolution to halt allocations to some states after a motion by Senate Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro, which focused on the urgent need to preserve democracy in local governments. Many senators supported sanctions against states that disrupted the democratic system by installing unelected caretaker committees.
Kuye condemned the dissolution of democratically elected councils, stating it violates Section 7 of the Nigerian Constitution, Supreme Court rulings, and is an affront to democracy. He noted that the number of states acting with impunity is increasing, with over 21 state governors currently managing LGAs with caretaker committees. This, he asserted, undermines democracy, accountability, transparency, and the development potential of local governments.
