President Bola Tinubu has cautioned state governors that he may invoke executive powers to enforce direct disbursement of funds to local governments if they fail to comply with a recent Supreme Court judgment granting councils financial autonomy.
The president issued the warning on Friday while addressing members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the party’s 15th National Executive Committee meeting held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
Tinubu’s remarks were directed at governors accused of withholding statutory allocations meant for local councils, despite the apex court’s ruling. He signalled that continued non-compliance could compel him to order direct allocation of council funds through the Federation Account Allocation Committee.
Addressing party leaders, including governors and members of the National Working Committee, the president said, “The Supreme Court has capped it for you again, saying, ‘give them their money directly.’ If you wait for my Executive Order, because I have the knife, I have the yam, I will cut it.”
He added that his current approach was restrained but warned that patience could wear thin. “I’m just being very respectful and understanding with my governors. Otherwise, if you don’t start to implement it, fact after fact, you will see,” he said.
Tinubu’s comments followed the Supreme Court’s July 11, 2024 judgment, which upheld the Federal Government’s position on local government financial independence. In a unanimous ruling, the seven-member panel declared it unconstitutional for state governments to control or withhold funds allocated to local councils.
The court ordered that allocations from the Federation Account be paid directly to local governments, as provided under Sections 162(5–8) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), a provision long undermined by the use of state-local government joint accounts.
Reiterating his stance, Tinubu urged governors to respect the rule of law and implement the judgment without delay. “The ultimate goal is our Supreme Court. We have to comply. We have to respect the judgment,” he said.
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