Supreme Court Bars Governors from Dissolving Elected Local Government Councils
Supreme Court Prohibits Governors from Dissolving Local Government Councils, Grants Financial Autonomy
In a landmark decision on Thursday, the Supreme Court has ruled that governors cannot dissolve democratically elected Local Government (LG) councils, citing such actions as a violation of the 1999 Constitution.
The ruling came in response to a suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), which sought to prevent governors from arbitrarily dissolving elected councils. The AGF's suit was based on 27 grounds.
Despite opposition from the 36 state governors named as defendants, the Supreme Court dismissed their objections, stating that their arguments were without merit.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, delivering the lead judgement, emphasized the necessity of financial autonomy for the 774 local government councils in Nigeria. He criticized the governors for their long-standing refusal to grant autonomy to local governments and ruled that these councils should manage their own funds.
The Supreme Court further directed that allocations from the Federation Account be paid directly to the local government councils, bypassing state government control. This decision is expected to ensure more direct and autonomous management of funds at the local government level, strengthening grassroots governance.
