The Chairman of the Progressives Local Government Chairmen Forum, Dr. Mustafa Jibril Alheri, has dismissed suggestions that Governor Mohammed Umar Bago and his colleagues in Progressives Governors forum are resisting the implementation of local government autonomy.

Alheri, who is also the Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger State insisted that the Governors are committed to complying with the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment.

He made the clarification yesterday while briefing journalists after leading members of the forum on a courtesy visit to the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

His remarks come amid ongoing debates over the implementation of the July 2024 Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local government councils.

In a unanimous decision delivered by a seven-member panel, the apex court ruled that local governments should receive their allocations directly from the Accountant-General of the Federation and declared it unconstitutional for state governors to receive or withhold funds meant for local councils.

Despite the judgment, implementation has remained slow, with concerns expressed in several quarters over the pace of compliance by state governments.

President Bola Tinubu had also, during the APC National Executive Committee meeting in December, warned that the Federal Government could invoke an Executive Order to ensure full implementation of the judgment if necessary.

However, Alheri maintained that APC-controlled states had already commenced the transition towards full autonomy, describing the process as gradual and collaborative.
“I want to use this opportunity to assure Nigerians that we have the support of our governors,” he said.

He singled out Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago for praise, describing him as one of the strongest advocates of local government autonomy.

“My governor, Farmer Mohammed Umar Bago, is a strong supporter of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and one of the greatest leaders we have had regarding the issue of local government autonomy,” Alheri stated.

According to him, the reforms being pursued by President Tinubu have enjoyed the backing of APC governors, adding that many states under the party are already operating with significant levels of local government autonomy.

“The President has been pursuing this for a very long time, and a lot of our states, especially the progressive states, are enjoying full autonomy. This is a gradual transition process that has been going on for a long time,” he said.

Alheri further stressed that local government chairmen and governors in APC-controlled states were working together to achieve full implementation of the Supreme Court judgment.

“We are in collaboration with our governors. All the things that our governors are doing, we are signatories to them. It is all for the development of the state, and we believe the dream of Nigerians to see complete and full autonomy will come to pass across the country,” he said.

He expressed optimism that all states would eventually implement the apex court’s decision, saying the APC remained committed to strengthening grassroots governance through genuine local government autonomy.