The Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, has declared that securing financial autonomy for Local Governments is President Bola Tinubu’s most significant achievement since taking office in May 2023.

Ndume praised the Tinubu administration for initiating a Supreme Court action that has established a new financial regime for Local Government Councils across Nigeria. In a statement released on Friday, he described the judgment as Tinubu’s foremost accomplishment thus far.

The Borno South lawmaker urged Tinubu to implement the court’s decision without delay, emphasizing that grassroots communities must begin to experience the benefits of good governance.

“State governors have hijacked Local Government administration in Nigeria, citing a controversial section of the 1999 Constitution. As a result, meaningful development at the grassroots has stalled,” Ndume stated.

He continued, “This court action, initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is his greatest achievement. I am hopeful that this marks the beginning of the liberation of local governments in Nigeria. I urge the President to commence the implementation of the court judgment immediately. Local Government Councils should start receiving their monthly allocations without any further delays, allowing grassroots communities to feel the impacts of good governance.”

Ndume highlighted the National Assembly’s past efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution to address this issue, which were thwarted by state governors preventing State Assemblies from giving constitutional concurrence. He noted that even President Muhammadu Buhari’s attempts to intervene were unsuccessful due to gubernatorial resistance.

“With this Supreme Court judgment, the issue is finally resolved. There will be no more unnecessary deductions from funds allocated to local governments. The people can now hold Council chairmen accountable for their expenditures, demanding true accountability and judicious use of funds. I commend President Tinubu’s courage,” Ndume added.

The Supreme Court, in its ruling on Thursday, directed that local government allocations from the Federation Account be paid directly to them. The court declared it unconstitutional for state governors to withhold funds meant for Local Government Areas.

Justice Emmanuel Agim, delivering the lead judgment, noted that state governments’ refusal to grant financial autonomy to Local Governments had persisted for over two decades. He emphasized that the 774 Local Government Councils in Nigeria should manage their funds independently, dismissing the state governors’ preliminary objections.