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Breaking: Supreme Court grants autonomy to LGAs
The Supreme Court today, Thursday, July 11, 2024, granted autonomy to the 774 local government areas in the country.
This followed a suit filed by the Federal Government against the 36 state governors regarding local government autonomy.
The Court declared on Thursday that it is unconstitutional for state governors to hold funds allocated to Local Government administrations.
In its lead judgement read by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court said the 774 local government councils in the country should manage their funds themselves.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), filed the suit, seeking full autonomy and direct fund allocation to the 774 local governments in Nigeria. The suit requests the court to order the withholding of funds from local governments run by caretaker committees appointed by governors, rather than elected chairmen and councillors.
The 36 state governors, represented by their attorneys general, opposed the suit, arguing that the Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain it.
A seven-man panel of Supreme Court Justices, led by Justice Garba Lawal, heard the case on June 13 and reserved judgment.
Fagbemi, representing the Federal Government in the suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, urged the court to grant all the reliefs sought, emphasizing the need for local governments to have full autonomy as the third tier of government, as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution.
He also called for direct allocation of funds from the federation account to the local governments and an order prohibiting the unlawful dissolution of local government administrations by state governors.
The suit is based on 27 grounds, highlighting the constitutional recognition of federal, state, and local governments as three tiers of government, all of which draw funds from the federation account. It argues that the constitution mandates a democratically elected local government system, and the governors’ failure to implement this system constitutes a deliberate subversion of the 1999 Constitution.
Details of the apex court ruling comes later….
News
Breaking: Court of Appeal rules in favour of Turaki -led PDP candidate for Osun governorship election
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Thursday, ruled that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Gubernatorial Candidate in Osun State was validly nominated by the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee.
The court also ordered INEC to list the PDP logo on the ballot ahead of Saturday’s gubernatorial election.
The Court held that access code is neither a creation of the Constitution nor the Electoral Act; rather, a creation of INEC’s guidelines and cannot, in any way, override the provisions of the Constitution.
Section 288 of the Constitution does not specify the method for nominating candidates; it only states that the names of candidates should be forwarded to the Commission.
The court further held that the defendant (INEC) should take steps to include the name of the appellant on the ballot paper.
Additionally, the court ruled that the primary election conducted by the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP was a valid primary election in law.
The three-man panel of justices—Justice Mahmud, Justice Jaro, and Justice Ankawere, was unanimous in its judgment.
News
Breaking: NHRC sets up situation room to monitor and document hate speech, intimidation, threat to life ahead 2027
The national Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has set up a situation room to monitor and document all incidences of hate speech, intimidation and threat to life by politicians and other actors ahead of the 2027 general election.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed concerns over rising incidences of hate speech, intimidation and outright threat to life by highly placed individuals, especially politicians and religious leaders.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chef Tony Ojukwu, SAN, revealed this on Thursday in Abuja at a press conference.
He said the situation room would enable the Commission harvest data, analysis and document persons, agencies and others involved in the negative statements in order to ensure they are properly tracked and brought to book by relevant agencies.
Ojukwu also took journalists on a tour of the newly set up situation room.
Details later…..
News
Breaking: NHRC expresses concern over rising incidences of hate speech, threat to life ahead 2027 elections
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed concerns over rising incidences of hate speech, intimidation and outright threat to life by highly placed individuals, especially politicians and religious leaders.
At a press conference in Abuja Thursday, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chef Tony Ojukwu, SAN, recalled statements credited to Senator Francis Fadahunsi and Sheikh Yahya Jingir and described the das dangerous with capacity to set the nation ablaze.
He called on politicians, religious and traditional rulers, among other stakeholders to call their supporters and faithful to orders.
He urged government to act before rhetorics turn to violence, saying the forthcoming election in Osun State should serve as example of Nigeria’s capacity to conduct political contest in compliance with international best practices.
Details later…..
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