The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on the Federal Government’s suit seeking full autonomy for the 774 local governments (LGs) in Nigeria.

A seven-man panel of the court, led by Justice Garba Lawal, prepared the case for judgment on Thursday after the governors of the 36 states, through their respective attorneys-general, adopted their briefs of argument.

The states filed separate preliminary objections, requesting the dismissal of the suit with substantial costs. They argued that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who initiated the action, lacked the legal right (locus standi) to do so. Furthermore, the defendants claimed that the AGF breached their right to a fair hearing by failing to serve them with a copy of a further affidavit filed in support of the suit.

Some states contended that they already have democratically elected local government officials and insisted that the suit constituted an abuse of the judicial process.

After hearing all parties, the Justice Lawal-led panel indicated that the judgment date would be communicated later.

The Federal Government, in suit number SC/CV/343/2024, sought the Supreme Court’s approval for full autonomy for all local governments as the third tier of government. It requested an order preventing state governors from unilaterally dissolving democratically elected local government leaders and ensuring that funds allocated to local governments are directly transferred to them from the Federation Account, in accordance with constitutional provisions.

The FG also sought an order stopping governors from appointing caretaker committees to run local governments and an injunction restraining governors and their agents from tampering with funds designated for local governments when no democratically elected local government system is in place.

The FG argued that Nigeria’s federal structure, established by the 1999 Constitution (as amended), mandates the President to uphold and implement the Constitution’s provisions.

Additionally, the Supreme Court on Thursday rejected applications from Speakers of the Houses of Assembly in some states seeking to join the case as interested parties.