Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of deliberately undermining Nigeria’s constitutional order by failing to implement the Supreme Court judgment on local government financial autonomy.
He described the administration’s refusal to act as “defiance” and warned that it has reduced the Constitution to “a tool of convenience and governance to partisan bargaining.”
Atiku, in a statement on Wednesday, said that by July 2026 the government would have spent two full years ignoring the apex court’s ruling, which directed the Federal Government to ensure direct allocations to local councils from the Federation Account.
“This is not delay. It is defiance. Your refusal to act is a calculated political move—using obedience to the law as a bargaining chip to force opposition governors into the APC and to keep governors within your party firmly under your control,” he declared. “Supreme Court judgments are final, not optional. Persistently refusing to enforce one is a direct breach of the Constitution and a violation of the oath you swore to Nigerians.”
The Supreme Court, in its landmark ruling of July 2024, held that it was unconstitutional for state governments to retain or manage funds meant for local councils. The court ordered that allocations be paid directly to the 774 local governments, citing Section 162 of the Constitution. Despite this, findings show that between July 2024 and December 2025, state governments retained control of at least N7.43 trillion in council funds through the State Joint Local Government Account framework.
President Tinubu has repeatedly warned governors that he may be compelled to issue an Executive Order to enforce compliance. At the APC’s National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja, he told party leaders: “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. I’m just being very respectful and understanding with my governors. Otherwise, if you don’t start to implement it, FAAC after FAAC you will see.”
While the President insists he is committed to enforcing autonomy, Atiku dismissed the threats of Executive Orders as political drama.
“This situation does not require threats of Executive Orders or political drama. The solution is simple: instruct the Attorney-General of the Federation to enforce the judgment immediately. Anything short of this is a failure of leadership,” he said.
ALGON, NUGLE’s backing
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) have expressed support for Tinubu’s plan to enforce direct deductions of council funds. ALGON’s Secretary General, Muhammed Abubakar, said the President’s warning was clear and left no ambiguity about the consequences of non-compliance. NULGE leaders in Bauchi and Nasarawa states also welcomed the move, describing it as a step that would strengthen grassroots governance and improve workers’ welfare.
Despite these assurances, implementation remains uneven across states. In Adamawa, officials claim autonomy has already been granted, while in Nasarawa, union leaders insist funds are still routed through the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. In Kano, union leaders expressed cautious optimism, noting that while projects are being funded, full compliance with the Supreme Court ruling is yet to be achieved.
Atiku warned that the continued inaction sends a clear message that “political control matters more than constitutional duty, that party dominance matters more than economic justice, and that regime survival outweighs the daily suffering of Nigerians already battered by harsh economic policies.”
He argued that withholding financial autonomy from councils has crippled communities, stalled development, and deepened poverty at the grassroots. “Roads remain broken, health centres abandoned, salaries unpaid—not by accident, but by choice,” he said. (edited)
