The All Progressives Congress (APC) Professionals Forum has praised the Supreme Court ruling affirming local government autonomy, stating it will bolster development at that tier of government.
Dr. Isa Yuguda, Chairman of the forum’s Board of Trustees, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, described the ruling as one of President Bola Tinubu’s major contributions to Nigeria’s democratic growth.
Yuguda expressed that the forum, alongside many Nigerians, has long questioned why state governments have withheld funds intended for local government administrations, contrary to constitutional provisions. He highlighted the recent increase in federal allocations to states and local governments, noting the lack of corresponding development improvements.
“Since Tinubu assumed office, there has not been significant progress in state-level development, let alone at the grassroots,” Yuguda said. “This is why we supported the president’s position on local governments, particularly the decision to sue the 36 state governors over alleged misuse of local government funds.”
Yuguda praised the Supreme Court’s decision to declare it unconstitutional for governors to withhold local government funds, commending Tinubu for challenging the matter in court.
He recalled that Tinubu, as Governor of Lagos State, frequently took the Federal Government to the Supreme Court on constitutional issues. “For our group, the court’s affirmation of local government autonomy is the first step towards grassroots development because that tier will now have direct access to funds statutorily allocated to them. This is good for democracy and is bound to increase fund allocations to the third tier of government,” Yuguda stated.
He concluded by applauding Tinubu for achieving what his predecessors could not.
