The Supreme Court has fixed Thursday, July 11, to deliver judgement on a case instituted by the Federal Government against the 36 State Governors seeking full autonomy of administration of Local Government Areas as stipulated in the Nigerian constitution.
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had on behalf of the federal government sued the 36 states seeking an order to guarantee the independence of the Local Government Areas.
Garba Lawal, leading a seven-member panel of Justices of the Supreme Court, had earlier reserved judgement after all parties adopted their various written addresses earlier.
In the suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, the AGF prayed the court for an order prohibiting state governors from unilateral, arbitrary, and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government executives.
In the suit which was started on May 26, the FG specifically prayed the court to issue an order, prohibiting state governors from embarking on unilateral, arbitrary, and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected local government leaders.
The suit is also asking for an order permitting the funds standing in the credits of local governments to be directly channelled to them from the federation account in line with the provisions of the constitution as against the alleged unlawful joint accounts created by governors.
The Federal Government also prayed the Supreme Court for an order stopping governors from further constituting caretaker committees to run the affairs of local governments as against the constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratic system.
It equally applied for an order of injunction restraining the governors, their agents and privies from receiving, spending or tampering with funds released from the federation account for the benefits of local governments when no democratically elected local government system is put in place in the states.
According to a document seen on Wednesday, July 10, at the apex court, parties in the suit have been notified through their respective lawyers.
It was observed that the notice for the judgment delivery was served on the federal government through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja Bank.
