Ahmed Buhari, the Vice Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2023 election, has expressed strong opposition to the recent Supreme Court judgment that grants financial autonomy to local governments in Nigeria.
Buhari contends that this move by President Bola Tinubu is a strategic effort to secure political support at the grassroots level in anticipation of the 2027 election.
In a landmark ruling, Nigeria’s Supreme Court declared it illegal and unconstitutional for governors to receive and withhold funds allocated to local government areas in their states. The court mandated that these funds be paid directly to local government councils by the federation. Additionally, the ruling revoked the governors’ authority to dissolve elected local government councils and replace them with caretaker committees.
Despite his support for local government autonomy, Buhari remains skeptical about the motivations behind this judgment. He believes that President Tinubu’s push for autonomy is primarily aimed at bolstering his political base at the grassroots, potentially as a countermeasure against state governors who may become political rivals in the future.
“It is a political move. So, if I want to come back to office in 2027, I might not necessarily win the loyalty of the governors because most of them might also want to contest against me. But if I can win the loyalty of the people at the grassroots where the real votes are, they know that the money comes directly from me to them. They have access to me. We are leaving the governors hanging, and we can even remove the governors if we want,” Buhari stated during an appearance on Focus Nigeria, aired on AIT.
Buhari also voiced concerns regarding the potential for misappropriation of funds by local government chairpersons. He suggested that, like state governors, these chairpersons might also face scrutiny and prosecution by anti-graft agencies. To mitigate this risk, Buhari advocated for the implementation of a technology-driven system to enhance accountability, transparency, and efficiency in governance.
“Now the federal government will know there is a misappropriation – they (council chairpersons) are messing up. Look, we gave you this (amount), and you only used two per cent for this project. Where is the 98 per cent? The federal government will now say we need something from you. Give us XYZ amount of support and votes for the next election – done,” he added.
As the political landscape in Nigeria evolves, the implications of the Supreme Court’s judgment on local government autonomy and its potential impact on the 2027 election remain a topic of significant debate.
