Supreme Court reserves judgement on LG autonomy suit

The Supreme Court has reserved judgement in a suit filed by the Federal Government against the 36 state governors over alleged misconduct in the administration of Local Government Areas.

Justice Garba Lawal, who led a seven-member panel of Justices of the Supreme Court, reserved judgement after all parties adopted their various addresses written earlier on Thursday, June 13, 2024.

Lawal said the date for judgement will be communicated later.

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had on behalf of the federal government sued the 36 states over the manner the governors are running the local government funds.

In the suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, the AGF prayed the apex court for an order prohibiting state governors from unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government executives.

Fagbemi in the originating summons is praying the Supreme Court for an order permitting the funds standing in the credits of local governments to be directly channelled to them from the Federation Account in line with the provisions of the Constitution as against the alleged unlawful joint accounts created by governors.

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He also sought an order of the apex court stopping governors from constituting caretaker committees to run the affairs of local governments as against the constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratic system.

He applied for an order of injunction restraining the governors, their agents, and privies from receiving, spending, or tampering with funds released from the federation account for the benefit of local governments when no democratically elected local government system is put in place.

Fagbemi asked the apex court to invoke sections 1, 4, 5, 7, and 14 of the constitution to declare that the state governors and State Houses of Assembly are under obligation to ensure a democratic system at the third tier of government.

The suit also wants the Supreme Court to invoke the same sections to hold that the governors cannot lawfully dissolve democratically elected local government councils.

Other prayers include that the Nigerian Constitution recognises federal, state, and local governments as three tiers of government and that the three recognised tiers of government draw funds for their operation and functioning from the Federation Account created by the Constitution.

The Star