Government officials of high rank will gather in Abuja today to deliberate on the execution of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
According to reports, the meeting is set to occur at the Federal Accounts and Allocation Committee (FAAC) and will be attended by Wale Edun, the Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, as well as other FAAC officials.
An aide to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice stated that the Supreme Court’s ruling was clear and left no room for misinterpretation. When questioned about whether the parties concerned had been informed, the aide clarified that communication was deemed unnecessary since both the federal and state executives were already aware of the judgment through their respective attorney-generals.
The aide mentioned that the Federal Government has recognized the court’s ruling, and it is now the responsibility of relevant agencies to carry out the implementation of the verdict. These agencies consist of the Ministry of Finance, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), representatives from FAAC, and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).
In reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision, multiple states have declared their intentions to hold local government elections. These states, including Katsina, Osun, Enugu, Sokoto, Abia, Anambra, Benue, Jigawa, Ondo, Kebbi, and Imo, have established schedules for conducting the polls. In its ruling on July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court declared that it is unconstitutional for state governors to withhold funds intended for local government administrations.
The court also prohibited governors from dissolving democratically elected local government councils, emphasizing that such actions would violate the provisions of the 1999 Constitution. The judgment emphasized the exclusive entitlement of democratically elected local government administrations, rather than caretaker committees, to manage their funds.
