Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the ADC party in the upcoming 2027 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to implement the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy if elected president.
On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that funds allocated to the 774 local government areas from the Federation Account should be paid directly to them without intermediaries.
The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by the Federal Government against the 36 state governors regarding the management, funding, and financial autonomy of local governments. However, despite the court's ruling, several states have still not fully complied with the order.
Alhaji Atiku stated that his administration would stand firm in ensuring that allocations to the 774 local government areas from the Federation Account are transferred directly to them, rather than passing through state governments.
This was contained in a statement released on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, who noted that the former vice president would uphold the rule of law and strengthen both the financial and overall operational autonomy of local governments.
Atiku said that if elected president, he would ensure full compliance with the court's decision and leverage local government autonomy to drive development at the grassroots level.
The statement quoted Atiku as saying: "My administration will respect court rulings, protect local government autonomy, ensure that public funds reach the people they are intended for, and restore true federalism."
According to him, giving local governments direct access to their funds will empower them to execute development projects, deliver quality infrastructure, and bring governance closer to Nigerians at the local level.
He added that enhancing the financial autonomy of local governments would strengthen their capacity to address security challenges and assist in alleviating the widespread poverty affecting citizens.