A former Vice President of Nigeria and the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has commended President Bola Tinubu for securing local government autonomy following the verdict of the Supreme Court in case instituted by the Tinubu administration.
In a post on his X handle, Atiku Abubakar said, “the judgment of the Supreme Court earlier today affirming fiscal autonomy to local government councils in the country is a win for the people of Nigeria.
“The court’s ruling is a step in the right direction and a major corrective action in greasing the wheels of national development across the country.
“The decision by the Federal Government to consolidate disbursements of local councils’ revenues into the state government accounts was a decision that was borne out of politics of hasty compromise.
“I align with the decision of the Supreme Court that the structure of the Nigerian government is portioned in three layers, and of these, the local governments should be centres of development.
“I also share the belief that fiscal autonomy to the local governments should not be limited to revenues from the Federation Accounts, but indeed, should apply to Internally Generated Revenue from the respective local government authorities”, he added.
The former PDP presidential candidate noted that many of states in Nigeria, especially those in what he called, “the ultra urban areas” with high density economic activities, have become notorious in muscling local councils from generating revenue on items that border on motor parks, outdoor advertising, rents and many more.
Atiku affirmed that the verdict of the court is in tandem with the core functions of the Supreme Court as an arbitration court between and among governments.