In a significant legal move, the Federal Government has taken the thirty-six state governors to the Supreme Court, seeking to reinforce the autonomy of local governments across the nation.

The lawsuit, marked SC/CV/343/2024, was filed on May 20 by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on behalf of the federal government. The government is requesting the Apex Court to issue an order prohibiting state governors from the unilateral, arbitrary, and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government leaders.

Furthermore, the federal government is seeking a directive that funds allocated to local governments be directly transferred from the federation account to the local governments. This request aims to bypass the alleged unlawful joint accounts established by governors, ensuring compliance with constitutional provisions.

The suit also calls for an injunction to prevent governors from forming caretaker committees to manage local government affairs, insisting on adherence to the constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratic system. Additionally, it seeks to restrain governors, their agents, and representatives from accessing or misusing funds allocated from the Federation Account intended for local governments, particularly when no democratically elected local government system is in place within the states.

This legal action underscores the federal government’s commitment to maintaining local government autonomy and ensuring the proper channeling of funds in accordance with constitutional mandates.

Credit: Journalist KC/X