LG Autonomy: FG Drags States To Supreme Court, Seeks End To Absolute Control

By Ayodele Oni

The Federal Government has swiftly moved to free Local Councils from absolute control of States as it approached the apex court to seek the nod to end the grip.

The Supreme Court has fixed Thursday, for hearing of the suit filed by the Federal Government against 36 state governors over alleged misconduct.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi SAN instituted the court action against the governors primarily seeking full autonomy for local governments as third tiers of government in the country.

In the suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, the AGF is praying the Apex Court for an order prohibiting state governors from unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local leaders for local governments.

The Chief Law Officer of the Federation, in the originating summons he personally signed, is also praying the Supreme Court for an order permitting the funds standing in the credits of local governments to be directly channelled to them from the Federation Account contrary to alleged unlawful joint accounts created by governors.

He also sought order of the Apex Court to stop governors from constituting  Caretaker Committees to run the affairs of local governments as against the constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratic system.

Besides, the Federal Government applied for an order of injunction restraining the governors, their agents and privies from receiving, spending or tampering with funds released from the Federation Account for the benefits of local governments when no democratically elected local government system is put in place in the states.

The Governors were sued through their respective State Attorneys General.

The AGF also prayed for invocation of sections 1, 4,  5,  7 and 14 of the Constitution to declare that dissolution of democratically elected local government Councils by the Governors or anyone using the State powers derivable from laws enacted by the State Houses of Assembly or any Executive Order is unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void.