LG Autonomy: Seize Funds Where Govs Refuse To Conduct Election- SERAP

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withhold funds to local governments in states where governors have refused to hold local government elections.

SERAP said in a statement, on Sunday, that the president has the responsibility to ensure that elections are held in the 774 LGAs in the country, in line with the July, 2024 Supreme Court judgment.

The nation’s apex court had in the landmark ruling affirmed the independence of the local government administration in the country, by outlawing a situation where state governors set up caretakers committee to run the councils.

The highest court in the country also directed that funds belonging to councils should be released to them directly.

As part of the federal government’s efforts to enforce the judgment, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN,  had disclosed that local government funds will not be released to states where elections were not held.

Thus in line with the apex court’s judgment, some states had held council elections, the latest being Rivers, Benue and Akwa Ibom state, where LG elections were held last weekend.

According to SERAP, in a statement issued by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, on Sunday, the president must ensure that states where LG elections had yet to be conducted are denied allocations.

The president, the rights body said, has the responsibility to ensure that the apex court’s judgment is obeyed.

Part of SERAP statement, “Your government has the obligation to enforce the Nigerian Constitution and to prevent public wrong, including by state governors.

“A democratically elected local government council does not and should not exist at the pleasure, whims and caprice of governors or their political godfathers.

“Your government also has the constitutional obligation to ensure accountability for the spending of federal allocations and immediate compliance with the judgment by the Supreme Court and the rule of law.”