Adebayo Ojo, SAN Calls For Full Compliance With Supreme Court Ruling On Local Government Autonomy At NBA Discourse
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for full compliance with the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment on local government autonomy, warning that any attempts to undermine the ruling could lead to legal and political instability.
The issue was the focus of a recent State of the Nation Discourse organized by the NBA, themed “Strengthening Local Government Autonomy in Nigeria.”
The event examined the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision in Attorney General of the Federation v. Attorney General of Abia State & 35 Others, which affirmed the financial independence of local governments.
Delivering his remarks, Mr. Adebayo Mutalubi Ojo, SAN, Chairman of the NBA Local Government Monitoring Committee and former Attorney General of Oyo State, stressed the binding nature of the court’s ruling. He urged state governments and relevant authorities to ensure full compliance, warning that failure to do so could amount to a violation of the rule of law.
“The Supreme Court’s decision is clear and binding. Any attempt to subvert or disregard it is not only illegal but could also lead to anarchy,” he stated.
Ojo also highlighted the structural similarities between local governments and other tiers of government, noting that local councils have both executive and legislative arms, which should function independently. He called on State Attorneys General to play a proactive role in implementing the court’s ruling to safeguard democratic governance at the grassroots level.
The discourse ended with a consensus on the urgent need to enforce local government autonomy, ensuring that funds meant for councils are directly allocated to them without interference from state governments. Participants emphasised that strengthening local governance is key to improving service delivery, accountability, and democracy in Nigeria.
