Supreme Court Reserves Judgment on FG’s LG Autonomy Suit

The Supreme Court has deferred its judgment in the contentious case brought by the Federal Government against the 36 state governors, regarding the autonomy of local governments across Nigeria.

Justice Garba Lawal informed all parties involved that they would be notified once the court’s decision is finalized.

This announcement followed the conclusion of proceedings where a 7-man panel of the apex court heard arguments and adopted legal submissions from both the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, representing the Federal Government, and representatives of the 36 state governors.

During Thursday’s session, the AGF urged the court to grant all reliefs sought by the Federal Government in the lawsuit.

Conversely, the governors, represented by their respective state Attorneys General and Commissioners for Justice, vehemently opposed the Federal Government’s demands and urged the court to dismiss the suit altogether.

Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), acting on behalf of the Federal Government, initiated the legal action aimed at securing full autonomy for local governments, which are constitutionally recognized as a third tier of government in Nigeria.

Among the reliefs sought, the AGF petitioned the apex court to issue an order preventing state governors from unilaterally and unlawfully dissolving democratically elected local government administrations.