The Supreme Court has barred governors from dissolving democratically elected Local Government (LG) councils, stating that such actions would breach the 1999 Constitution.
The suit, filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), sought an order to prevent governors from arbitrarily dissolving democratically elected councils. The case, built on 27 grounds, was a significant move by the Federal Government to ensure the autonomy of local government councils.
The 36 state governors, who were the defendants in the suit, opposed the AGF’s case. However, the Supreme Court dismissed their objections, stating that they had “just wasted their time in the suit.”
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court not only barred the dissolution of elected local government councils but also granted financial autonomy to the 774 local government councils across the country. Justice Agim scolded the governors for their decades-long refusal to grant autonomy to local governments and emphasized that these councils should manage their own funds.
The court directed that Local Government allocations from the Federation Account should be paid directly to the councils, bypassing the state government coffers.
