Atiku Accuses Tinubu’s Government of Defying Supreme Court Ruling on Local Government Financial Autonomy

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the Bola Tinubu administration of deliberately ignoring a Supreme Court judgment that mandates direct federal allocation to Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.

In a statement shared on X on Wednesday, Atiku highlighted that the Supreme Court, on July 11, 2024, ruled that local governments must receive their funds directly from the Federation Account, declaring the previous practice of routing allocations through state governments unconstitutional.

Atiku pointed out that by July 2026, the Tinubu government would have spent two years deliberately defying this “binding” Supreme Court judgment. He described the government’s inaction not as a delay but as “defiance.”

He 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. In doing so, you have reduced the Constitution to a tool of convenience and governance to partisan bargaining.”

Atiku emphasized the finality of Supreme Court rulings, warning that persistent refusal to enforce them breaches the Constitution and violates the oath of office.

He stressed the importance of local governments as the closest government tier to the people and criticized the withholding of their financial autonomy, saying it cripples communities, stalls development, and deepens poverty at the grassroots level. “Roads remain broken, health centres abandoned, salaries unpaid—not by accident, but by choice,” he added.

Atiku called for immediate enforcement of the court ruling by instructing the Attorney-General of the Federation to act, dismissing any need for executive orders or political theatrics.

He concluded, “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.”

Atiku urged for leadership that respects the law and serves the people rather than bending rules for political advantage.