In a stunning ruling, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, has declared as unconstitutional, the tradition of governors in dissolving local government councils and appointing caretaker committees. The court made the ruling while delivering judgement on the so-called “Local Government Autonomy” suit filed on behalf of the Federal Government by the Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
The court, in its ruling, read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, scolded the state governors for their decade-long tradition of denying local governments of their full autonomy guaranteed in the 1999 Constitution.
Justice Agim described the defence put up by the governors as a waste of time and also ruled that the Federal government must, henceforth, send the allocations due the local councils directly into their accounts.
