An All Progressives Congress (APC) youth leader based in Dubai, UAE, Sadiq Saleh Osude, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately direct the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to enforce the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy by commencing direct disbursement of funds to the nation’s 774 local government area councils.
Speaking in a statement on Wednesday, Osude said the delay in implementing the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgement — which declared it unconstitutional for state governments to tamper with or intercept local government allocations — was undermining the Renewed Hope Agenda and weakening service delivery at the grassroots.
“The courts have spoken. The Constitution is clear. The people are waiting. What remains is for the President to give the green light to the CBN to begin direct crediting of local government accounts,” Osude said. “Any further delay is not just administrative — it is a denial of development to millions of Nigerians in rural communities.”
The Supreme Court had ruled in favour of the Federal Government’s suit, seeking to end the longstanding practice where state governors interfere with local government funds through joint State-LGA Joint Accounts. The apex court also outlawed the imposition of unelected caretaker committees, affirming that only democratically elected councils are recognised under the Constitution.
Osude, who authored a widely read opinion titled “Renewed Hope for Local Democracy: Tinubu, CBN and the Quest for Local Government Autonomy,” said enforcing the judgement was a litmus test for the administration’s commitment to genuine federalism.
“President Tinubu deserves credit for initiating the legal challenge that led to this victory,” he said. “But that victory must now be matched by action. The CBN should be directed to open dedicated LGA accounts under its oversight and ensure that not a single naira is filtered through state governments anymore.”
He added that the delay has emboldened some state governors who are lobbying to retain control over the funds through commercial bank channels, citing alleged debts incurred by local government councils — an excuse Osude dismissed as unconstitutional.
“Local government autonomy is not a favour to be negotiated; it is a right guaranteed by Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution,” he said. “This is not about political control — it is about clinics in our communities, salaries for primary school teachers, and rural roads that connect farms to markets.”
Osude urged President Tinubu to issue an executive directive to the CBN, Finance Ministry, and all relevant agencies to implement full financial autonomy at once. He also called for a transparent public portal to show monthly allocations to all LGAs, enabling citizens to track how much their councils receive.
“Our Renewed Hope Agenda must be rooted in real, measurable progress,” he said. “When the President ensures that local governments are fully funded and free to govern, he will not only fulfill a constitutional mandate but deliver the most important dividend of democracy — development where the people live.”
Osude’s statement comes amid rising pressure from civil society groups, labour unions, and governance experts who say the Tinubu administration must move from legal victory to practical enforcement. With the next Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting approaching, stakeholders say now is the time for the President to act.
“This is President Tinubu’s opportunity to inscribe his legacy as the leader who finally empowered Nigeria’s third tier of government,” Osude concluded. “The Supreme Court has done its job. Let the Central Bank now do theirs — with full support from Aso Rock.”
