President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid and the politics surrounding the 2027 general elections may have stalled the implementation of financial autonomy for the 774 local government councils, Sunday PUNCH can report.
Findings revealed that the majority of local government councils across the country still receive their monthly allocations through state governments rather than directly from the Federation Account, two years after the Supreme Court’s directive.
Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress sources disclosed to Sunday PUNCH that President Bola Tinubu has yet to enforce local government autonomy because he is reluctant to confront state governors who are expected to play key roles in his re-election bid.
This comes about six months after Tinubu threatened to issue an Executive Order to ensure the direct payment of allocations to local governments.
On July 11, 2024, the apex court delivered a landmark judgment granting full financial and administrative autonomy to all 774 LGAs in the country.
