The Senate of Nigeria is currently in an emergency closed-door session to discuss the implementation of financial autonomy for Local Government Councils (LGAs) following a Supreme Court ruling in August 2024. The ruling prohibits state governors from retaining or utilizing funds allocated to LGAs, declaring such practices unconstitutional.
The session was prompted by a motion from Senator Tony Nwoye, who raised concerns about state governments enacting counter laws to undermine the Supreme Court’s decision. He alleged that some governors are using their state assemblies to create laws that would force LGAs to deposit their funds into state-local government joint accounts, which the Supreme Court had ruled against.
Senator Adamu Aliero supported Nwoye’s motion, emphasizing that the Supreme Court’s judgement should be enforced without debate, citing Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution. Senate President Godswill Akpabio also acknowledged the need for constitutional amendments to facilitate the implementation of the ruling.
The situation escalated with simultaneous points of order raised by other senators, leading to confusion and ultimately the decision to go into a closed-door session. The Supreme Court’s judgement mandates that funds meant for LGAs should be paid directly to them from the federation account, reinforcing the need for democratic governance at the local level.
The Senate’s discussions will likely focus on how to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision and address the concerns raised by various senators regarding the potential circumvention of the ruling by state governments. Further details on the outcome of the session are expected to be released later.