The House of Representatives has announced measures to suspend local government allocations for councils across Nigeria led by unelected officials, effective immediately.
This decision follows the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ademorin Kuye, highlighting the urgent need to uphold democratic principles in local governance and address financial irregularities linked to non-elected local government officials.
The House has tasked the joint Committees on Finance, Revenue Mobilization, and Allocation (RMAFC) to withhold allocations from local governments not governed democratically. Alternatively, RMAFC will establish a dedicated account to hold these funds until democratically elected representatives assume office in those councils.
Additionally, the House has instructed the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (oAuGF) to initiate legal action against any state government that prematurely terminates the tenure of local government administrations. RMFAC is directed to withhold allocations intended for these affected local governments.
Furthermore, the Committee on Legislative Compliance has been mandated to ensure strict adherence to these directives.
Hon. Kuye emphasised the motion’s intent, criticising state governors for disregarding Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees the governance of local governments by democratically elected officials and mandates state governments to support their operations.
He said: “The House is aware also that by virtue of section 8 of the 1999 constitution as amended, mandates the State House of Assembly to make laws for the establishment, tenure, structure, composition, finance and functions of these councils stipulated by the constitution.
“The House is further aware that the local government, as envisaged by the constitution, is the most important tier of government as it is the closest to the people and the obvious foundation of both the subnational and the federal government.
“The House is informed that in December 2023 the Senate adopted a resolution to stop allocation to some States after debate on a motion sponsored by the Senate Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro on the urgent need to halt the erosion of democracy, as more Senators urge the extension of sanctions to other States that have usurped and upended democratically elected council officials and had installed unelected caretaker executives.
“The House is concerned that the dissolution of democratically elected council officials is in direct contravention of section 7 of the Nigerian Constitution, The supreme court pronouncement on such matters and a deliberate affront on democracy.
“Worried is the increasing number of States acting with such impunity and constitutional disregard as about 21 State Governors are currently running Councils with Caretaker Committees.
“The House is dismayed that this impunity and constitution disregard is a deliberate effort to upstage democracy, shrink the development potential of Local Councils, enshrine lack of accountability and limit transparency in Local Governments and the state as a whole.”