Atiku Accuses Tinubu Of Defying Supreme Court Over Local Government Autonomy

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of deliberately disobeying a binding Supreme Court judgement directing the Federal Government to begin direct disbursement of local government allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

In a statement on Wednesday, Atiku said the Tinubu administration’s refusal to enforce the judgement almost two years after it was delivered was not a mere delay but “a calculated act of political defiance.”

“This is not delay. It is defiance,” Atiku said. “Your refusal to act is a calculated political move—using obedience to the law as a bargaining chip to force opposition governors into the APC and to keep governors within your party firmly under your control.”

He accused the President of turning the Constitution “into a tool of convenience” and reducing governance to “partisan bargaining.”

Atiku reminded President Tinubu that Supreme Court rulings are binding on all authorities and that continued refusal to enforce them amounts to a breach of the Constitution.

“Let us be clear: Supreme Court judgements are final, not optional. Persistently refusing to enforce one is a direct breach of the Constitution and a violation of the oath you swore to Nigerians,” he declared.

The former Vice President said the President’s inaction was having devastating effects on communities across the country.

“By withholding local government financial autonomy, you are not weakening governors, you are crippling communities, stalling development, and deepening poverty at the grassroots,” Atiku said.

According to him, the failure to release funds directly to local government councils has left “roads broken, health centres abandoned, and salaries unpaid—not by accident, but by choice.”

Atiku urged Tinubu to act without delay by directing the Attorney-General of the Federation to enforce the judgement.

“This situation does not require threats of Executive Orders or political drama. The solution is simple: instruct the Attorney-General to enforce the judgment immediately. Anything short of this is a failure of leadership,” he said.

He accused the APC administration of prioritising political dominance over constitutional duty, saying it sends “a clear message that power matters more than people.”

“Your continued inaction sends a clear message: that political control matters more than constitutional duty, that party dominance matters more than economic justice, and that regime survival outweighs the daily suffering of Nigerians already battered by harsh economic policies,” he said.

Atiku concluded his statement with a stern warning that history would judge the Tinubu administration by its respect, or lack thereof for the rule of law.

“Nigeria deserves leadership that obeys the law it swore to protect, not one that bends it for political gain,” he said. “History will not forget this moment. Nigerians will not either.”