On Wednesday, the Senate convened for an emergency closed-door session to discuss a motion advocating for financial autonomy for the 774 Local Government Councils in Nigeria, following a significant ruling by the Supreme Court.
This urgent session was triggered by a motion sponsored by Sen. Tony Nwoye (LP – Anambra), who was joined by nine other lawmakers in highlighting the necessity of implementing this autonomy to ensure the effective functioning of local governments across the country.
During his presentation, Nwoye utilized orders 41 and 51 of the Senate rules to allege that some state governments were plotting to evade the execution of the Supreme Court's judgment concerning local government financial autonomy. He expressed concerns that the State Houses of Assemblies were working to enact alternative laws that could undermine this autonomy in their respective states.
Specifically, Nwoye accused certain state governors of collaborating with their House of Assembly to draft laws mandating local government councils to remit funds into the State/Local Government Joint Account, a practice that contradicts the Supreme Court ruling.
Following Nwoye’s allegations, Sen. Osita Izunaso (APC-Imo) seconded the motion, asserting its relevance. He noted that the citizens of Nigeria were eagerly awaiting improvements in local government administration and commended the executive for supporting the Supreme Court’s ruling. Izunaso emphasized that conducting local government elections nationwide was a step toward reform, and any attempt by a state assembly to counter this ruling would undermine the authority of the Supreme Court.
Sen. Adamu Aliero (PDP-Kebbi) interjected with a constitutional point of order, aiming to halt further debate on the motion. Citing Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, Aliero argued that the Supreme Court's judgment should be enforced uniformly across the country and insisted that there was no need for additional discussions on the matter in the Senate.
“The Supreme Court judgment is enforceable across the country,” he declared. “There is no need for us to be debating anything that has to do with it here,” he added, emphasizing the necessity for compliance with the ruling.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, then directed the lawmakers' attention to Section 162, Subsection 6 of the 1999 Constitution, which establishes the State/Local Government Joint Account. Akpabio read extensively from this section, indicating the need for amendments to certain constitutional provisions concerning local government autonomy. “I think what we need to do is to carry out required amendments of certain provisions of the constitution as far as local governments’ autonomy is concerned,” he stated, underscoring the need for legislative reform to align with the Supreme Court's ruling.
Both Nwoye and Sen. Abdulrahman Kawu (NNPP-Kano) raised additional points of order during the session. These interventions prompted many senators to approach the Senate President for personal consultations, leading to the Senate's decision to enter an emergency closed-door session to discuss the sensitive matter further.[/p>
On July 11, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment affirming the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Councils, marking a significant step in empowering local governance. This ruling came after the federal government, represented by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, filed a suit at the apex court accusing state governments of neglecting local governments, thereby crippling their functionality.