Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately enforce the Supreme Court judgment granting full financial autonomy to Nigeria’s local governments, warning that continued delay undermines the Constitution and amounts to a failure of leadership.
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous ruling delivered in July 2024, declared it unconstitutional for state governments to retain or control funds allocated to local government areas. The apex court also ruled against the use of caretaker committees, stating that such arrangements place local councils under unlawful state control and violate the 1999 Constitution.
President Tinubu, while speaking at the 15th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, urged state governors to comply with the judgment. He warned that persistent non-compliance could force him to issue an Executive Order to ensure direct disbursement of allocations from the Federation Account to local governments.
However, reacting via social media, Atiku accused the President of politicising the judgment and failing to take concrete steps to enforce it.
“At this point, there is no need for threats of Executive Orders,” Atiku said. “All the President needs to do is instruct the Attorney-General of the Federation to enforce the judgment immediately. Anything short of this is a failure of leadership.”
The former Vice President, now a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleged that Tinubu’s reluctance to act was deliberate and driven by political calculations.
“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 wrote.
Atiku further warned that such conduct reduces the Constitution to a tool for partisan bargaining.
“In doing so, you have reduced the Constitution to a tool of convenience. Supreme Court judgments are final, not optional,” he stated.
He added that continued refusal to enforce the ruling constitutes a breach of constitutional duty and a violation of the presidential oath of office.
“Persistently refusing to enforce a Supreme Court judgment is a direct breach of the Constitution and a violation of the oath you swore to Nigerians,” Atiku said.
Concluding, the former Vice President cautioned that the current administration would be judged harshly if it continues to delay enforcement of the ruling.
“Your continued inaction sends a clear message that political control matters more than constitutional duty. History will not forget this moment, and Nigerians will not either,” he added.
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