Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has promised to ensure that federal allocations meant for Nigeria’s local governments are paid directly to the councils if elected president in 2027.
Atiku made the pledge in a statement issued on Tuesday, September 1, by his spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, and published on X.
The former Vice President said his administration would uphold the rule of law and guarantee constitutional independence for all levels of government, including local councils.
He also cited the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment affirming the financial autonomy of local governments, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of failing to fully implement the ruling.
According to Atiku, the alleged failure to enforce the judgment was driven by a desire to avoid a confrontation with state governors who had previously exercised control over local government funds.
The statement partly read, “My administration will respect court judgments, protect local government autonomy, ensure that public funds reach the people for whom they are meant, and restore true federalism.
“This move will ensure that development is brought to the grassroots, reduce poverty at the level of government nearest to the people, and guarantee financial independence to the local governments which will increase their capacity to fight crimes and terrorism at that level.”
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Atiku further alleged that the Tinubu administration’s handling of local government financial autonomy was influenced by political considerations ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
He claimed that state governors were being allowed to maintain control over local government funds in exchange for their support for Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
“This is not the Nigeria we should accept,” the former Vice President stated.
The ADC presidential candidate’s comments come amid continued debate over the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment, which sought to strengthen the financial independence of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
A report published in July stated that implementation of the landmark judgment remained stalled two years after the court’s directive, despite N10.48 trillion having been allocated to the third tier of government during the period.
Atiku said direct funding of local governments under his administration would strengthen grassroots development and give councils greater capacity to address poverty, insecurity and other challenges within their communities.
His pledge adds local government autonomy to the broader governance and federalism issues expected to feature prominently in the 2027 presidential election campaign.