By Jelili Gbadamosi
Atiku Abubakar, Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, has promised to strengthen local government administration by ensuring that statutory allocations meant for the 774 councils are paid directly into their accounts if elected president in 2027.
Atiku made the pledge in a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, saying his administration would fully implement the Supreme Court judgment on local government financial autonomy.
The Supreme Court had, on July 11, 2024, ruled that funds allocated to local governments from the Federation Account should be paid directly to the councils, rather than being controlled by state governments.
Atiku said his proposed policy would give local councils greater financial capacity to provide basic services and execute development projects in their communities.
He argued that financially independent local governments would also be better positioned to address insecurity, reduce poverty and respond to the needs of people at the grassroots.
The ADC candidate said respecting the Supreme Court judgment would form part of his administration’s commitment to strengthening federalism, accountability and responsible management of public funds.
Atiku also criticised the Tinubu administration for what he described as failure to fully enforce the court ruling.
He alleged that political considerations had influenced the Federal Government’s handling of local government autonomy, particularly in its relationship with state governors.
According to Atiku, granting councils direct access to their allocations would prevent the diversion or misuse of funds and ensure that resources meant for grassroots development are deployed for their intended purposes.
