Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has decried what he calls the “deliberate non-enforcement” of the Supreme Court judgment that affirmed the financial and administrative autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments.
The apex court had on July 11, 2024, in Attorney-General of the Federation v. Attorney-General of Abia State & 35 Ors, ruled that the practice of routing local government allocations through State Joint Local Government Accounts was unconstitutional, and directed that funds from the Federation Account be paid directly to local government councils.
The court also declared the use of unelected caretaker committees illegal and inconsistent with the Constitution.
In a statement issued on Friday to mark one year since the court delivered the judgment, Adeyanju described the failure to implement the judgment as “a direct assault on the Constitution and the rule of law.”
“Despite the clarity of the Supreme Court’s pronouncement, state governments have continued to operate as though the judgment never existed,” he said.
“Over ₦4.5 trillion in local government allocations have reportedly been disbursed through the same unconstitutional joint accounts, in blatant disregard of the court’s ruling.”
Quoting Section 287(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates that all authorities and persons in Nigeria must give effect to decisions of the Supreme Court, Adeyanju warned that continued disobedience undermines constitutional governance.
“This is not just defiance of a court order. It is a violation of the very foundation of our democratic structure. If Supreme Court judgments can be so flagrantly ignored, then we are in deeper trouble than we imagine,” he added.
Adeyanju lauded the Tinubu administration for initiating the legal action that led to the landmark decision, but criticised its failure to enforce compliance.
“The Federal Government cannot stop at securing judgment. It must summon the political and institutional will to implement it. Otherwise, this becomes yet another moral victory with no real impact,” he stated.
Adeyanju warned that, “If we allow this pattern to continue, then it sends a dangerous message that some political actors are above the law.”
