The Nation Newspaper Let the third tier breathe: Implications of the Supreme Court verdict By Bayo Onanuga
on July 11, granting financial autonomy to the 774 local councils and recognising them as the third tier of Nigeria’s governance architecture, was truly historic.
The court ruled that caretaker committees are illegal and that councils run by them should not receive the federal allocation. In acknowledging the verdict’s import, former vice-president Atiku Abubakar described it as a win for the people. In a post on X, Atiku wrote: “The court’s ruling is a step in the right direction and a major corrective action in greasing the wheels of national development across the country… The court’s verdict is in tandem with the core functions of the Supreme Court as an arbitration court between and among governments.
President Tinubu noted that the provision of some essential amenities and public goods, such as the construction and maintenance of roads, streets, street lighting, drains, parks, gardens, open spaces, and other residual responsibilities, including community security, has been abandoned owing to the emasculation of local governments.
But the governors challenged his authority in a case filed at the Supreme Court. In a split judgment in 2022, the Supreme Court said President Buhari overreached his powers. The suit, anchored on 27 grounds, accused the state governors of gross misconduct and abuse of power. He prayed that the Supreme Court would make an order stating that funds standing to the credit of local governments from the Federation Account should be paid directly to the local governments rather than through the state governments.
As Nigerians celebrate the historic judgment, it is clear that some work still needs to be done to bring life back to the councils. One issue being raised is how to ensure that the council elections are truly competitive and not predetermined by the governors and the state independent electoral commissions. To solve this, some Nigerians have urged the National Assembly to pass a law that will require only the central Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct council elections.
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