LG Autonomy: Governors Vs. Supreme Court — The 774-Council Battle
By NJORIGE LYNUS
The Constitutional Chess Game
Judicial Victory, Political Defeat?
ON 11 July 2024, the Supreme Court delivered what many hailed as a watershed judgment: the abolishment in practice of the State–Local Government Joint Account and the directive that federal allocations be paid directly to all 774 councils. The ruling, championed by President Bola Tinubu through the Attorney General, was framed as a corrective strike against decades of state-level overreach and the misuse of local government funds.
But 19 months later, the anticipated grassroots rebirth has stalled. The system governors were meant to retire is still alive under a different name: JAAC. While several states, including Delta — represented by the Anioma Igbo communities — have publicly claimed partial compliance, independent verification of full financial autonomy remains thin, inconsistent, or absent.
The Missing Accounts
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) guidelines required each council to open a dedicated account to receive statutory disbursements from FAAC. Yet, investigative checks across states show no conclusive evidence that councils are operating active CBN accounts for direct allocation receipt.
In Enugu, chairmen may insist funds reach them intact, but disbursement still runs through JAAC — a state-dominated committee that negotiates salary payments first and determines project funding later. Governors publicly deny deductions, with Peter Mbah recently insisting he does not take “a kobo,” but his statement conflicts with the fact that council heads have signed a power of attorney granting the state Board of Internal Revenue rights to collect and manage council revenues, including levies and fees.
Captured Elections, Captured Councils
Even in states where interference is described as minimal, like Lagos, former chairmen admit autonomy is largely cosmetic because state governors appoint and fund SIECs, which conduct LG elections. “Once you control the election, you control the council,” one former Lagos chairman said, explaining the mechanics of loyalty and political dependency.
A League of Governors
Legal analysts say the resistance is not partisan — it is structural. According to Tope Temokun, governors across party lines have quietly formed a bipartisan alliance to preserve influence over council funds. This coalition has created a political standoff stronger than any judicial directive, underscoring the limits of the court without constitutional amendments.
