The Supreme Court of Nigeria has ruled that governors across the country are no longer authorized to dissolve democratically elected Local Government councils. The ruling, delivered on Thursday 11 July 2024, declares such actions unconstitutional under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The case, brought before the court by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), with 27 legal grounds, sought to prevent governors from unilaterally dissolving elected local councils. The defendants in the case, consisting of all 36 state governors, contested the AGF’s authority to bring the matter to court.
However, the Supreme Court dismissed the governors’ objections and affirmed the right of local councils to operate autonomously. In a historic judgment led by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the court chastised governors for historically denying financial autonomy to local governments. Justice Agim emphasized that henceforth, local councils are to manage their finances independently.
Additionally, the apex court directed that allocations meant for local governments from the Federation Account must be remitted directly to them, bypassing state government control.
