Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what he described as the Federal Government’s reluctance to enforce the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local government councils. Atiku warned that the continued delay was crippling governance at the grassroots and worsening hardship among rural communities.
Naija247News gathered that the opposition leader made the remarks in a statement posted on his X handle, where he faulted President Tinubu’s recent warning to state governors over their alleged refusal to comply with the landmark judgment. The President had threatened to issue an Executive Order mandating direct allocation of funds to local councils should the governors remain defiant.
The judgment in question, delivered on July 11, 2024, affirmed that it was unconstitutional for state governments to seize or control funds meant for local administrations. Naija247News understands that the ruling was expected to restore autonomy to local councils and strengthen service delivery at the community level.
However, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of “defiance by delay,” insisting that nearly two years after the ruling, enforcement had yet to take place. According to Naija247News, he argued that the President had a constitutional duty to ensure immediate compliance rather than using enforcement as political leverage against opposition governors or to maintain party dominance.
Atiku lamented that the biggest casualties of the delay were ordinary Nigerians. “Local governments are the closest arm of government to the people,” he stated, warning that stalled autonomy meant abandoned roads, struggling health centres, unpaid workers and deepening rural poverty. Naija247News gathered that he described the situation as a deliberate obstruction that was weakening communities across the country.
He further stressed that Supreme Court rulings are final and binding, adding that failure to enforce them undermines the Constitution and the President’s oath of office. In his words, threats of Executive Orders or political drama were unnecessary when the Attorney-General could immediately initiate enforcement measures.
Naija247News reports that Atiku concluded by accusing the Federal Government of placing political survival above economic justice and constitutional duty. He urged the President to act decisively, arguing that the credibility of governance and the welfare of citizens were at stake.
Naija247News understands that the statement has reignited national debate on local government autonomy, federalism, and the balance of power between Abuja and the states, issues seen as critical to deepening Nigeria’s democratic governance and improving service delivery at the grassroots.
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