Supreme Court Delivers Landmark Judgement on Local Government Financial Autonomy
A historic decision today, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of financial autonomy for Local Governments (LGAs), a milestone in the journey that began in 2020.
Key highlights of the judgement include:
– Declaration that dissolving democratically elected Local Governments by Governors is illegal
– Order for the Federal Government to withhold allocations to LGAs governed by unelected officials appointed by Governors
– Directive for the Federal Government to cease paying LG allocations through State Governments, citing abuse of the practice by Governors
This judgement follows a series of legal battles, including the signing of Executive Order 10 by President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2020, which granted financial autonomy to the Judiciary, Legislature, and LGAs. The Supreme Court\’s decision today solidifies the financial independence of LGAs, a significant victory for decentralization and grassroots governance.
The breakdown of LGAs by zone and state is as follows:
– North West: 186 LGAs
– South West: 137 LGAs
– South South: 123 LGAs
– North Central: 121 LGAs
– North East: 112 LGAs
– South East: 95 LGAs
The top 10 states with the highest number of LGAs are:
1. Kano – 44
2. Katsina – 34
3. Oyo – 33
4. Akwa Ibom – 31
5. Osun – 30
6. Borno – 27
7. Imo – 27
8. Jigawa – 27
9. Delta – 25
10. Niger – 25
