President Bola Tinubu has warned state governors that he may issue an executive order to enforce direct financial allocations to local governments if they fail to comply with the Supreme Court judgment granting councils full financial autonomy.
The president issued the warning on Friday while addressing members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the party’s 15th National Executive Committee meeting at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja. The gathering included governors, members of the party’s National Working Committee and other senior stakeholders.
Referring to the apex court’s ruling, Tinubu reminded the governors that the matter had been conclusively settled. “The Supreme Court has capped it for you again, saying give them their money directly,” he said. He added pointedly, “If you wait for my Executive Order, because I have the knife, I have the yam, I will cut it.”
The president said he had so far exercised restraint out of respect for the governors but warned that continued delays would attract decisive action. “I’m just being very respectful and understanding with my governors. Otherwise, if you don’t start to implement it, FAC after FAC, you will see,” he said, gesturing to underline his message.
On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Federal Government, ordering that allocations from the Federation Account be paid directly to local governments, as stipulated in Sections 162(5–8) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The court declared it unconstitutional for state governments to retain or manage funds meant for local councils through joint accounts.
Tinubu stressed that obedience to the judgment was non-negotiable. “The ultimate goal is our Supreme Court. We have to comply. We have to respect the judgment,” he said.
While commending the APC’s dominance nationwide, with electoral victories across 28 states, the president urged party leaders to strengthen structures at the grassroots, warning that governance gaps at the local level could weaken the party. He noted that while reliance on governors was easy, attention must also be paid to states where the APC does not control the government.
Reflecting on the 2023 election period, Tinubu recalled the economic and social challenges Nigerians faced, including fuel scarcity and cash shortages caused by the naira redesign policy. “There was a wild bush fire. The currency redesign. The queue at the petrol station. Oh, that people died, not able to eat one meal a day because of a lack of money. Just for one election,” he said.
On security reforms, Tinubu again backed the creation of state police and called on the National Assembly to summon the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to begin serious constitutional deliberations. “We are going for state police,” he declared, adding that safeguards must be built in to prevent abuse.
He also reiterated his administration’s resolve to flush criminals from forests through the deployment of forest rangers, vowing that terrorists and bandits would be defeated. On constitutional matters, Tinubu expressed support for bills promoting women’s inclusion but rejected federal control over lotteries, describing them as residual matters reserved for states.
What you should know
The Supreme Court’s ruling on local government financial autonomy is one of Nigeria’s most consequential governance decisions in recent years.
By ordering direct allocations to councils, the court aimed to end the long-standing practice of state governments controlling local funds through joint accounts, a system widely blamed for stunting grassroots development.
President Tinubu’s warning signals growing impatience with states accused of slow or selective compliance. His threat of an executive order underscores the federal government’s readiness to enforce the judgment and reshape centre-state-local fiscal relations.
The issue is politically sensitive, as governors view it as an erosion of their influence, while reform advocates see it as essential to strengthening local governance and accountability.
