Supreme Court Grants Financial Autonomy To LG’s, Bars Govs From Dissolving LG Councils

The Supreme Court on Thursday barred governors from dissolving democratically elected Local Government (LG) councils in the country.

The Apex Court, in a landmark judgement, said doing so, would amount to a breach of the 1999 Constitution.

In the suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Federal Government sought an order preventing the Governors from arbitrarily dissolving democratically elected councils. 

Though, the 36 state governors, defendants in the suit, opposed the AGF for instituting the case. The Supreme Court, however, said the defendants  just wasted their time in the suit.

The Court also granted financial autonomy to the 774 local government councils in the country.

In its lead judgement read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court scolded governors for their decades-long refusal of autonomy for local governments.

Justice Agim noted that the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves

He dismissed the preliminary objections of the defendants (state governors).

The apex court directed that Local Government allocations from the Federation Account should be paid directly to them henceforth, and not to state government coffers.