The Supreme Court has scheduled Thursday, July 11, to deliver its final judgment on the issue of local government autonomy between the federal government and the 36 state governors.
According to Plateau News, which cited a report from The Nation, the Supreme Court has notified all parties and their lawyers about the judgment date.
A document related to the matter indicates that the notice for the judgment was served on the Federal Government through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja.
The federal government is seeking full autonomy for the 774 local governments in the country, a move opposed by the state governments.
This follows the Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday, June 13, to reserve judgment on the Federal Government’s lawsuit against the 36 state governors regarding local government autonomy.
The apex court had announced that the ruling would be delivered at a later date, which has now been set for July 11.
A seven-member panel, presided over by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, had indicated that the judgment date would be communicated to the involved parties and their counsel.
The announcement on the reservation of the judgment came after the lawyers for the parties adopted their final addresses and made their final submissions.
Plateau News reports that the federal government is advocating for full autonomy for the 774 local governments in case SC/CV/343/2024.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, is seeking a Supreme Court order to prevent state governors from unilaterally, arbitrarily, and unlawfully dissolving democratically elected local government leaders within their respective states.
In the originating summons personally signed by the Chief Law Officer of the Federation, the Supreme Court is being petitioned for an order to allow the funds held in the credits of local governments to be directly allocated to them from the Federation Account, in line with constitutional provisions.
This is opposed to the current practice where funds are allocated through purported unlawful joint accounts established by governors.
Additionally, the federal government is requesting an order from the Supreme Court to prohibit governors from forming caretaker committees to manage the affairs of local governments, which contradicts the constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratic system.