APC hails Tinubu, S’Court judgment

The All Progressives Congress has welcomed Thursday’s judgment of the Supreme Court affirming the right of local governments to receive their monthly allocations directly from the federation account.

The ruling party also saluted President Bola Tinubu for backing the decision.

This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka.

The apex court had granted full autonomy to the 774 local governments in the country as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution (amended).

The seven-man panel in a unanimous decision agreed that it is illegal and unconstitutional for governors to continue to receive or retain funds allocated to the local governments.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court declared that the power of the government is divided into three arms namely the federal, state and local governments.

The court further declared that a state government cannot elect a caretaker committee, adding that a local government council is only recognisable with a democratically elected government.

But in Friday’s statement, Morka emphasised that the decision signifies a historic moment in the consolidation of democratic federalism in Nigeria.

He said, “It (judgment) gives practical expression to constitutional recognition of local government councils as the third tier of government. It constitutes the single most significant stride towards restructuring Nigeria since its return to civilian democratic rule in 1999.

“We applaud the Supreme Court for justifying itself, and for its courage in rendering a definitive decision on this vexed national issue. The clarity it brings will, no doubt, spur further reform for effectiveness, transparency and accountability of local government administration in the country.

“We commend the ingenuity, vision and commitment of President Bola Tinubu towards deepening our democracy and turning our local government councils into potential strongholds for development and more efficient service delivery to our populations at the grassroots.”

Meanwhile, a community-based organisation, The Birnin-Gwari Vanguard for Security and Good Governance, has called for the dissolution of the caretaker committee in the council to pave the way for democratically elected chairman and councillors.

Recall that the State Independent Election Commission conducted an election in the 23 Local Government Areas of the state on October 23, 2021, where it declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Yusha’u Aboki was denied a certificate of return.

Instead, the state government under immediate-past governor of the state, Malam Nasir El-Rufai installed a caretaker committee sole administrator of Birnin-Gwari Local Government with seven appointed Local government Councillors to run the affairs of the Local government till date.

However, following Thursday’s verdict of the Supreme Court, the group called for the withdrawal of the caretaker committee for democratically elected council chairman and councillors.

According to the Chairman of the group, Abubakar Nagwari, installing a caretaker chairman for Birnin-Gwari LG contravenes Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution as affirmed by the apex court.

In a statement he personally signed in Kaduna on Friday, Nagwari asked President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to intervene and immediately restore a democratically elected LG chairman and councillors in the Birnin-Gwari LGA.