LG autonomy: S’Court hears FG’s suit against governors June 13

The Supreme Court has fixed June 13, 2024, to hear a suit filed by the Federal Government against the 36 state governors over alleged misconduct in the handling of Local Government affairs

Justice Garba Lawal fixed the date on Thursday, May 30, while ruling in an application for abridgment of time argued by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fgebemi (SAN) to allow time for all parties to file their processes and exchange same.

He ordered the state governors to file their respective defence to a suit instituted against them by the federal government seeking full autonomy for the 774 Local Government Areas in the country.

Lawal, who led a seven man panel of the Supreme Court, said the decision of the court was predicated on the national urgency of the suit and the non-objection from the Attorneys General of the states of the federation.

FG drags govs to court over misconduct in LG affairs, seeks autonomy

The judge added that the AGF, upon receipt of the governors’ defence, must file his reply within two days.

He ordered that the eight states that were not in attendance at Thursday’s proceeding must be served with fresh hearing notice.

The eight states are Borno, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, and Sokoto, whose Attorneys General were absent in court, despite being served with hearing notice.

The federal government had dragged the state governors to the Supreme Court over alleged misconduct in the handling of local government affairs

The AGF instituted the action against the governors to seek full autonomy for local governments as the third tier of the government.

According to Fagbemi, the suit is a deliberate attempt at removing local governments from gross abuse by the state governors.

In the suit marked SC/CV/343/2024, the AGF is praying the apex court for an order prohibiting state governors from unilateral, arbitrary and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected leaders for local governments.

The governors were sued through their State Attorneys General.

The Star