The Federal Government of Nigeria and governors of the 36 States of the federation have commenced fierce legal fireworks at the Supreme Court over the move by the Federal Government to secure autonomy for the 774 local governments in the country.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, is leading the Federal Government’s legal team against the state governors who are being represented by various lawyers.
To do justice to the issues in dispute, a 7-man panel of Justices of the Apex Court, led by Justice Garba Lawal, has kick-started hearing the matter.
Two legal luminaries, Yusuf Olaolu Ali and Sebastien Hon, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria SANs, have volunteered to render free legal services to support the federal government in the hectic legal battle.
In the suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, the AGF is praying the Apex Court for an order prohibiting State Governors from unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government leaders for local governments..
The Chief Law Officer of the Federation in the originating summons he personally signed, is also praying the Supreme Court for an order permitting the funds standing in the credits of local governments to be directly channelled to them from the Federation Account in line with the provisions of the Constitution as against the alleged unlawful joint accounts created by governors.
He also sought order of the Apex Court stopping governors from constituting Caretaker Committees to run the affairs of local governments as against the Constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratically system.
Besides, the federal government applied for an order of injunction restraining the governors, their agents and privies from receiving, spending or tampering with funds released from the Federation Account for the benefits of local governments when no democratically elected local government system is put in place in the states.
Details later.