The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to withhold federal allocations from states that have failed to conduct credible local government elections.
On October 5, local elections took place in states like Rivers, Benue, Akwa Ibom, and Jigawa, but many other states have yet to hold such elections while still receiving federal funds for their local councils.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the situation, SERAP criticized certain state governors’ actions as improper.
In a statement on Sunday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, urged Tinubu to instruct Olawale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, to “immediately withhold federal allocations to states that have failed or refused to conduct credible local government elections, and ensure that allocations from the Federation Account are paid only to democratically elected local government councils, not to any other body or institution.”
Oluwadare also requested that the President provide “details on the number of local government councils that have directly received federal allocations and whether these councils are democratically elected, as required by the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and mandated by the Supreme Court in its July 11, 2024 judgment.”
“Your government has the obligation to enforce the Nigerian Constitution and to prevent public wrong, including by state governors,” he said.
“A democratically elected local government council does not and should not exist at the pleasure, whims and caprice of governors or their ‘political godfathers’.
“Your government also has the constitutional obligation to ensure accountability for the spending of federal allocations and immediate compliance with the judgment by the Supreme Court and the rule of law.
“Local government councils are entitled to a direct payment from the Federation Account to promote good governance, people’s welfare and development of local government areas across the country.
“Where the rule of law reigns, political expediency ought to be sacrificed on the altar of the rule of law so as to guarantee the continued existence of institutions created to promote social values of liberty, orderly conduct and development.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.
“It will be entirely consistent with the rule of law to immediately withhold federal allocations to states that have failed and/refused to conduct local government elections and to ensure that any allocations from the Federation Account are paid only to democratically elected councils and no other body or institution.”