The Supreme Court judge ment 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. It was perhaps the most remarkable judgement ever delivered by the apex court in recent times, as it used its power to interpret the law to give a different meaning to Section 162 of the Constitution.
Henceforth, the court ruled that the allocations should go directly to the accounts of the 774 local councils. 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.
He said the court’s decision to grant financial autonomy to the councils and restate other constitutional principles reinforced the effort to enhance Nigeria’s true federal fabric for the development of the entire nation. President Tinubu, his successor, sought to combat the problem constitutionally by suing the governors.
As Nigerians celebrate the historic judgement, 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.