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JUST IN: Afenifere Queries Supreme Court Verdict On LG Autonomy
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Pan Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has expressed strong disapproval of the recent Supreme Court decision that affirmed fiscal autonomy for local government areas in Nigeria.
In a press statement released in Akure and signed by its leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, and National Publicity Secretary, Prince Justice Faloye, the group described the verdict as harmful to the structure of the Nigerian state.
According to the statement, Afenifere believes that the Supreme Court’s ruling undermines the federalism structure of Nigeria by promoting a unitary system through the back door. The group argues that true federalism should allow states to exercise control over their local government areas, including financial matters, to ensure that local governance is tailored to the unique needs of each state. The statement declared
The statement declared that “Afenifere views the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case filed by the Federal Government on the so-called Local Government autonomy as sheer judicial conspiracy in cahoots with the Tinubu administration against the Nigerian state and its foundational principles of federalism.
“Rather than interpret the constitution to uphold its elementary but overriding federal principle which recognises only a two-tier federal structure of the central government and federating states, the Supreme Court played to the gallery and wittingly allowed itself a most retrogessive declaration that the power of the government is portioned into three arms of government, the federal, the state and the local government. “For the avoidance of any doubt, Afenifere makes bold to say that in line with its negotiated basis of existence, Nigeria is a “Federation consisting of States and a Federal Capital Territory”. as affirmed by Section 2 (2) of the 1999 constitution. “While Afenifere frowns at corruption and misuse of public funds at levels of government, it condemns in most unmistaken terms the subjugation of the states and its constitutional roles including the Local Government system to the whims and caprices of the federal government by any means including obvious manipulation of the federation account as in the present case.
“The 1999 constitution, which in spite of its flaws, gives life and power to the Supreme Court provides in Section 162 and particularly subsection (6) that “each state shall maintain a special account to be called “State Joint Local Government Account” into which shall be paid all allocations to the local government councils of the state from the Federation Account and from the Government of the state.
“Against this unambiguous provision the Supreme Court held that “demands of justice requires a progressive interpretation of the law.
“It is the position of this court that the federation can pay Local Government allocations to the Local Government directly or pay them through the states. “In this case, since paying them through states has not worked, justice of this case demands that Local Government allocations from the federation account should henceforth be paid directly to the Local Governments .
“Contrary to this invented alternative routes, Section 162 of the Constitution is not ambivalent about the process and route through which “all allocations to the local government councils of the state from the Federation Account and from the Government of the state” shall become payable to the Councils. “In other words, the interpretation does not require a voyage into jurisprudential sophistry leading to the absurdity of deliberate judicial amendment of the grundnorm.
“By wittingly or inadvertently equating the Nigerian Federation with the Federal Government in the erroneous belief that both expressions are used interchangeably, such that the President may withold funds to the credit of the Local Governments from the Federation Account, under the guise of having no democratically elected officials, which is obviously subject to the interpretation by the Federal Government.
“The apex court has not only done incalculable injury to the Nigerian state, it has lent itself to setting aside its precedent in the hallowed judgment against the President Obasanjo administration withholding funds to the credit of Local Governments in Lagos State even when the Supreme Court agreed that the Local Council Development Authorities (LCDA) created by then Governor Tinubu were inchoate and fell short of constitutional requirements.
“It is becoming stridently eloquent that with just over a year of its inauguration, the Tinubu government, more than even the military administrations, is uuncannily determined to unitarise the Nigerian Federation. “Part of the unitary package is the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development which is the audacious euphemism for the re-introduction of Cattle Colony, RUGA and those other policies by which the Buhari administration sought to appropriate lands in the states contrary to the provisions of the Land Use Act and the Constitution which vest land in the state in the Governor in trust for the people. “Afenifere insists that the way forward for Nigeria is not the confusing rudderless tinkering but holistic restructuring of the polity to re-enact the fundamental principles of true federalism as agreed by the founding fathers. “This includes the fact that the Local Government system is an exclusive preserve of the states, either by direct constitutional provisions or residual powers in a federation.”
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2027: Rainbow Coalition Signals Fresh Political Realignment in Nigeria — Sokoto PDP Guber Candidate
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Abubakar Sokoto, has described the emerging Rainbow Coalition as another chapter in Nigeria’s long history of political alliances and realignments.
Sokoto, in a statement issued in Sokoto on Tuesday, said political coalitions had remained a recurring feature of Nigeria’s electoral history, with parties and political groups often coming together to pursue shared political objectives.
According to him, while the names, personalities, circumstances and goals behind such alliances may change, political realignment remains an established part of the country’s democratic process.
He cited the 1999 AD-APP joint presidential ticket of Olu Falae and Umaru Shinkafi as one of the notable examples of political cooperation in Nigeria.
He also recalled the Coalition of Progressive Political Parties ahead of the 2015 general elections, as well as the merger involving the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), which eventually led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The greatest lesson from these experiences is that political coalitions are about people as much as they are about parties,” he said.
On the latest political realignment, Sokoto noted that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had described the Rainbow Coalition as a multi-party platform mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
He added that Wike had also maintained that the coalition was not an APC structure.
Sokoto said concerns reportedly expressed by some APC governors over the emerging coalition should be viewed within the broader context of Nigeria’s history of political alliances and realignments.
He urged APC governors and other party leaders to adopt what he described as a pragmatic approach to the developing political configuration ahead of the 2027 elections.
The PDP candidate also called on Nigerians to support efforts aimed at ensuring that the 2027 general elections are free, fair and credible.
News
2027: Rainbow Coalition Signals Fresh Political Realignment in Nigeria — Sokoto PDP Guber Candidate
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Abubakar Sokoto, has described the emerging Rainbow Coalition as another chapter in Nigeria’s long history of political alliances and realignments.
Sokoto, in a statement issued in Sokoto on Tuesday, said political coalitions had remained a recurring feature of Nigeria’s electoral history, with parties and political groups often coming together to pursue shared political objectives.
According to him, while the names, personalities, circumstances and goals behind such alliances may change, political realignment remains an established part of the country’s democratic process.
He cited the 1999 AD-APP joint presidential ticket of Olu Falae and Umaru Shinkafi as one of the notable examples of political cooperation in Nigeria.
He also recalled the Coalition of Progressive Political Parties ahead of the 2015 general elections, as well as the merger involving the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), which eventually led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The greatest lesson from these experiences is that political coalitions are about people as much as they are about parties,” he said.
On the latest political realignment, Sokoto noted that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had described the Rainbow Coalition as a multi-party platform mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
He added that Wike had also maintained that the coalition was not an APC structure.
Sokoto said concerns reportedly expressed by some APC governors over the emerging coalition should be viewed within the broader context of Nigeria’s history of political alliances and realignments.
He urged APC governors and other party leaders to adopt what he described as a pragmatic approach to the developing political configuration ahead of the 2027 elections.
The PDP candidate also called on Nigerians to support efforts aimed at ensuring that the 2027 general elections are free, fair and credible.
News
Niger Miners’ Deaths: ‘Anyone Who Tampers With Evidence Will Face Full Wrath of Law’ — Tunji-Ojo
The Federal Government has warned that anyone who attempts to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct investigations into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Niger State will face prosecution.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, issued the warning on Tuesday in Abuja while inaugurating a 10-member independent investigative committee set up to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the detainees in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The 37 detainees died on September 17, days after they were arrested during NSCDC operations against suspected illegal mining in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
The circumstances and actual cause of the deaths remain under investigations.
Speaking at the inauguration of the panel, Tunji-Ojo directed the NSCDC leadership and all officers linked to the incident to cooperate fully with investigators and ensure that all relevant records and material evidence are preserved.
“All records and material evidence connected to this incident, I have directed that they must be preserved and made available,” the minister said.
He added: “Any attempt by anybody to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct this investigation will be treated as a serious offence against the nation and it will not be tolerated.
“If it ever happens, I give you my word, the full hammer of the law will descend on such an individual.”
‘We Owe Nigerians the Truth’
Tunji-Ojo said the Federal Government was determined to establish the truth and ensure accountability, regardless of the status of anyone found culpable.
“To Nigerians, I say this: we owe you the truth.
This committee will give you the truth. No officer, no matter how highly placed, or any individual will be shielded if found culpable,” he said.
The minister also appealed to the families of the deceased to remain calm, assuring them that the government would not abandon them.
“To the families who lost loved ones, I appeal for calm and patience. This government will not and will never abandon you,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo charged the committee to conduct a thorough investigation and promised that its findings would not be ignored.
“I challenge you: let your antecedent speak when the report is submitted, and I assure you of one thing: this report will not be swept under the carpet,” he said.
He added that those found culpable would face the appropriate legal consequences.
“We will call a meeting like this; we will present the report, and whoever needs to be prosecuted will be prosecuted, and whoever needs to be dealt with in line with the law will be dealt with,” the minister said.
Panel to Determine Cause of Death, Responsibility
The committee, chaired by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Jonathan Kure, is expected to establish the identities of the deceased and investigate the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention.
It will also determine the cause and circumstances of the deaths, establish responsibility, complicity, negligence or misconduct, and recommend appropriate action, including compensation where applicable. The panel is also expected to recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
The committee has two weeks to complete its investigation and submit its report to the Minister of Interior.
The NSCDC initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, but the official cause has not been established.
The Federal Government has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The incident has generated widespread public outrage, with survivors and relatives making allegations about the conditions in which the detainees were held. Reports have included claims of overcrowding and poor ventilation, as well as allegations that an unidentified substance was sprayed inside the cell. Those claims remain subject to investigation.
Following the incident, the Federal Government suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, along with 20 other officers pending the outcome of the investigation.
The NSCDC subsequently paraded the suspended commandant and other officers linked to the incident at its national headquarters in Sauka, Abuja, as the Corps presented preliminary findings to journalists.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier ordered a full and transparent investigation, saying the government would not tolerate mass deaths arising from official negligence, dereliction of duty or failure by public officials to protect people placed in their care.
Channels Television
2027: Rainbow Coalition Signals Fresh Political Realignment in Nigeria — Sokoto PDP Guber Candidate
2027: Rainbow Coalition Signals Fresh Political Realignment in Nigeria — Sokoto PDP Guber Candidate
Niger Miners’ Deaths: ‘Anyone Who Tampers With Evidence Will Face Full Wrath of Law’ — Tunji-Ojo
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