Implications of Supreme Court Ruling: See States Bared From Receiving LGA Allocations

In a significant development following a Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy, Nigeria will stop allocating funds to states that do not have duly elected local government officials starting July.

The Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment on Thursday, granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs). The case, filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, challenged the practice of state governors appointing unelected officials to govern local councils.

Justice Emmanuel Agim, in the ruling, prohibited the Federal Government from disbursing LGA allocations through state governments, citing widespread misuse of funds by governors.

According to the judgment, 20 states currently without elected Local Government Chairmen will be affected by the decision. These states include Jigawa, Rivers, Anambra, Imo, Kwara, Zamfara, Bauchi, Plateau, Abia, Enugu, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto, Yobe, Ondo, Osun, Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, and Benue.

The Federal Government disbursed N293.82 billion to all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in July on behalf of the 774 LGAs. Starting next month, allocations to states without elected local leaders will be withheld until they conduct elections as mandated by the court.

This decision marks a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s governance structure, aiming to strengthen local governance and accountability. It underscores efforts to ensure that local government funds are used for their intended purposes, benefiting communities across the nation.