Supreme Court Upholds Local Government Financial Autonomy, Declares Governors Withholding Funds Unconstitutional

The Supreme Court has ruled that it is unconstitutional for state governors to withhold funds meant for Local Government (LG) administrations. In a landmark decision, the court declared that the 774 local government areas in Nigeria must manage their own finances independently and that LG allocations from the Federation Account should be paid directly to the local governments. The ruling dismisses objections raised by state governors who previously held control over these funds and upholds the right of local governments to self-governance. This decision is a significant victory for local government financial autonomy and is expected to empower councils with greater financial independence.

Citations:

[1] https://guardian.ng/breaking-supreme-court-declares-govs-holding-lg-funds-unconstitutional/

[2] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/07/6-key-takeaways-as-supreme-court-bars-36-govs-from-retaining-lg-funds/

[3] https://www.icirnigeria.org/its-unconstitutional-for-governors-to-hold-lg-funds-supreme-court-says/

[4] https://businessday.ng/news/article/it-is-unconstitutional-for-governors-to-hold-lg-funds-supreme-court-rules/

[5] https://punchng.com/breaking-supreme-court-grants-lgs-financial-autonomy/