The Supreme Court’s landmark judgment granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) has been the subject of intense discussion for days. The court ruled in favour of the federal government’s request for direct disbursement of funds from the federation account to the LGAs, bypassing state governments.
The court criticized the practice of state governors creating and controlling caretaker committees, emphasizing that local government councils should be democratically elected as stipulated by the constitution. This ruling is a significant victory for local government autonomy and a blow to state governments’ control over LGAs.
