Jude Diugwu
Former Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly and Professor of Constitutional Law, Prof. Ali Ahmad, has commended the Supreme Court judgment on Local Government autonomy, thanking President Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN for reigniting hope of a working Nigeria.
This is as he advocates for a one-time emergency executive bill by the President to the National Assembly to accelerate the conduct of local government polls by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, across the 774 local government areas of the country.
The former federal lawmaker said the bill would further consolidate the latest landmark judgment by the apex court in granting full autonomy to the third tier of government.
In a public statement issued on Friday, the former speaker said the historical judicial intervention is of inestimable value, comparing it to the legislative adoption of the principle of “necessity” in saving the soul of the country.
The professor of law, meanwhile, encourages senior citizens to actively participate in politics and run for local government positions in their communities to bring much-needed governance closer to the people.
Recall that the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered a significant judgment on Thursday, granting financial autonomy to the 774 local government areas in the country.
The case was brought by the federal government against the 36 state governors, and the apex court made a ruling regarding the status of the third tier of government.
The court ruled that it is illegal and unconstitutional for governors to continue to receive and seize funds allocated to LGAs in their states.
