• Atiku promises direct payment of LG funds if elected president, vows to review NELFUND
• Uzodimma says RHA intact, warns against rumours

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) will work to ensure that increased financial resources translate into visible development at the local council level, as part of efforts to give effect to the recent Supreme Court ruling on Local Government Autonomy.

This was as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, pledged to release funds meant for Nigeria’s 774 local councils directly to them if elected president in the 2027 general election.

Atiku also vowed to review the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) policy and provide debt forgiveness for qualifying Nigerian students, dismissing as “dishonest” President Bola Tinubu’s attempt to present the scheme as proof that education has become more affordable under his administration.

Meanwhile, Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA), Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, warned against alleged attempts by “mischief-makers” to dissolve the pro-Tinubu support group ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The pledge for more funds was disclosed when a delegation of RMAFC led by Aliyu Abdulkadir, who represents Nasarawa State and chairs the Commission’s State and Local Government Monitoring Committee, visited the National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Bello Lawal, at the association’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of Mohammed Shehu, the RMAFC Chairman, Abdulkadir said the new committee was set up to deepen engagement with the third tier of government and identify practical measures to strengthen local councils.

He noted that RMAFC, as a constitutional body, is empowered to monitor accruals into and disbursements from the Federation Account, to which local councils are constitutionally entitled.

Abdulkadir assured on the commission’s commitment to implement the Supreme Court’s pronouncement on local government autonomy. He also urged councils to boost their internally generated revenue and reduce dependence on federal allocations.

ATIKU’S commitment to the local councils was part of his proposed agenda to strengthen local government autonomy, uphold the rule of law and promote what he described as a truly federal system of government.

In a statement yesterday on his behalf by his official spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, the former vice president said his administration would respect court judgments and ensure that public funds reach the level of government for which they are intended.

Atiku specifically referenced the Supreme Court judgment delivered in July 2024 on the financial autonomy of local councils.

According to him, granting local councils direct access to their funds would enhance their capacity to deliver development at the grassroots and respond more effectively to challenges confronting their communities.

He said the policy would also contribute to poverty reduction and strengthen the ability of local governments to tackle crime and terrorism.

His Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, stated yesterday evening that Atiku’s response was to Tinubu’s overnight post on X, in which the President attacked Atiku’s economic positions without mentioning him by name.

Shaibu said Tinubu’s invocation of NELFUND as a defence against Atiku’s proposal to cut the cost of energy was disingenuous, arguing that the President had first driven up the cost of education before presenting loans as a rescue package.

“Celebrating NELFUND as proof that education has become affordable under your government is like setting school fees on fire and then boasting that you lent students a bucket of water. What exactly is the wisdom in presiding over dramatic increases in school fees in some institutions, only to turn around and celebrate loans as the solution?” he queried.

He stated: “You make education more expensive, lend students money to survive the increase, and then demand applause for the rescue. That is not affordability. It is witchcraft economics: create the burden with one hand, offer debt with the other, and demand applause for the intervention.”

According to him, government should not “parade the loan itself as evidence that the system is working” once the underlying cost of education has become prohibitive for ordinary families.
UZODIMMA, who spoke yesterday at a meeting with members of RHA in Abuja, declared that “nothing has changed,” insisting that the Renewed Hope Ambassadors remain intact and committed to mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election.

The governor said reports suggesting that the organisation had been dissolved were false, urging members to remain focused and disregard attempts to cause confusion and demoralise the group.

He explained that the constitution of a Presidential Campaign Council ahead of an election was a normal political process and should not be interpreted as a replacement or dissolution of RHA.