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Call to scrap LGs in Nigeria, transfer authority to traditional rulers sparks fresh debate

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More than one year after local government areas got what could be described as favourable landmark judgement, they are yet to be freed from the grip of state governors.

In July 2024, the Supreme Court had ruled in favor of local government autonomy, affirming the financial and administrative independence of Nigeria’s 774 local councils by declaring actions by state governments unconstitutional.

The landmark judgment prohibited states from dissolving elected councils, installing caretaker committees, withholding funds allocated to local governments from the federation account, and managing local government finances.

However, the full implementation of that judgement remains a mirage, opening further calls that the local government system should be scrapped.

A former presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adamu Garba, reopened the debate recently when he called for the scrapping of local governments in Nigeria.

Garba said local governments should be scrapped because State governors use it as a back channel to loot funds, stressing that its power should be transferred to traditional rulers within their domain.

“Local governments take their legislation from the state assemblies and you know what that means. Autonomy or not, the LGs are still ATMs of some state governors.

“In reality, there is no country on earth that has a third tier of government except Nigeria. Since it proved to be non-workable, why not scrap it?

“Instead of struggling to get constitutional authority for our traditional rulers, they should be handed over the local government councils and let them run it according to the local culture and tradition of the people within their domain.

“All entitlements due to LGs should be channeled to the leadership of the traditional rulers of such areas. A form of pre-colonial Native Authority we used to have and was very very effective.”

Scrap SIEC not local governments – AA National Chairman

The National Chairman of Action Alliance, AA, Kenneth Udeze, disagreed with the clamour for the scrapping of local governments in Nigeria.

Udeze pointed out that local governments are a necessary tool in conveying the dividends of democracy to the grassroots.

Speaking , Udeze said: “I don’t agree with that school of thought at all, the only challenge we have in Nigeria is leadership and bad governance that has brought us down to our knees where we are today.

“Yes, in as much as some people can argue that local government is a backend for people to cash out, where things are done properly, we can’t say we have three tiers of government from the federal to state and local government and at the end of the day, we still have issues.

“If the Supreme Court of the land has actually made a pronouncement with respect to issues of sending the local government allocations directly to them with the hopes that leaders, politicians, and administrators make sure that the strict letters of the pronouncement of the Supreme court should be respected, for us in the Action Alliance and as the National chairman of a political party in this country, with respect to the constitution amendment that is going on, we emphasize that local government autonomy should remain extant and that issues that has to do with allowing the government to function on its own, that is the only way leadership can be felt at the grassroot.

“As a politician we all know that every politics is local no matter where you stay, if truly we respect morality and as a matter of fact we respect the law, this will go a long way to frustrate the activities of people who are causing unnecessary insecurity because by the time the funds that are meant for local governments are channeled properly without the intervention of the state through joint account – in fact the joint account issue should find a way in the constitution to get it distorted – so that at the end of the day, everything that has to do with local government should go directly to them without the intervention of the state.

“I can tell you that even from the local government where I come from, when you hear the amount allocated, last month’s allocation was over N400 million and when you get back to the village, you ask yourself where is this money being channeled?

“You find out that it’s still the state government that runs those areas. But then when you talk about getting the dividends of democracy to the grassroot, you can’t shy away from the fact that we need local government administration.

“The best way to anchor this is instead of scrapping local governments we should scrap SIEC, the State Independent Electoral Commission in all the states in Nigeria and let INEC, the only independent body known to conduct election be in charge of local government election, so that when election are being conducted in the states of the Federation, you will find out that when people are properly elected, everybody will mind their business – the state and the federal will mind their business.

“So I’m not in support of the school of thoughts that talks about the scrapping of local government administration in Nigeria.”

Scrapping local governments not in Nigeria’s interest – Lawyer

On his part, activist lawyer, Maduabuchi Idam insisted that the scrapping of local governments is not in the interest of Nigeria.

He said that, “The call to scrap local governments in Nigeria is self-serving and I can tell you it’s only promoted by persons who one way or the other believe that such action will benefit them, it’s not in the interest of Nigeria.

“The provision of section 7 of the constitution is very clear and it was intended to bring government to local authorities which is why it created the local government, because the same section established the local government in Nigeria. Also by the same section it was made autonomous.

“By the virtue of the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered in June 2024 which is the AGF vs the AG of the 36 states in Nigeria, It’s clear that local governments have become autonomous and the idea of scrapping it is self-serving.

“How can you agitate that local governments be replaced with traditional rulers that are appointed by the state?

“Traditional rulers are being given office by the state. If it happens, the idea is that local governments should give way so that the state will perpetually supplant itself on the people direct from the state to local authorities because local governments were intended by the same provisions to bring the government closer to the local authority.”

He added that the clamour should be for local governments elections to be transparent not scrap that tier of government.

He said: “The agitation should be that elections into local government should be transparent, they should be asking for reforms which is what Nigerians are clamouring for proper electoral reforms that would enable candidates to emerge not necessarily from the party that is controlling the state.

“If there is a reform by the electoral act, it will enable chairmen of local government to emerge that would not be under any influence of the state, so the agitation should not be to scrap local governments but it should be to strengthen local government to function as it was intended by the virtue of the constitution.”

Execution of the judgment

The lawyer, however, wondered why the Supreme Court judgment has not been executed.

“I must say that I’m not abreast as to the reason that judgment has not been complied with but I can tell you that the judgment of the Supreme Court is supreme.

“It’s qualified, absolute and commands total compliance and no party, no matter how highly placed is big enough to violate the judgment of the Supreme Court and go scot free,” he added.

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Police present ₦33.8m to families of fallen officers in Kebbi

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The Kebbi State Police Command has disbursed cheques totalling ₦33,816,610.97 to 50 families of police officers who died in active service.

The presentation, held on Thursday at the Command’s Headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, was made by the Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Sani, as part of the Group Life Assurance and IGP Family Welfare Schemes initiated to support families of fallen heroes.

PUNCH Online reports that the Group Life Assurance and IGP Family Welfare Schemes are part of the ongoing initiatives under Egbetokun to enhance welfare and provide financial relief to families of officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Speaking during the ceremony, Sani commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for his steadfast commitment to the welfare of police personnel and their families.

He described the gesture as a reflection of the IGP’s compassion and dedication to the well-being of officers, saying it had brought “immense joy and relief” to many bereaved families.

“The Inspector-General’s magnanimity continues to boost morale, enhance performance, and uplift the spirit of our officers across the country,” the Commissioner said, praying for God’s continued guidance for the police chief.

Sani urged the beneficiaries to invest the funds wisely in ventures that would ensure lasting benefits for their dependents.

Responding on behalf of the recipients, Sonnen Simeon Mome thanked the IG for his generosity, noting that the support would have a meaningful impact on their lives.

“This gesture shows that the Nigeria Police Force has not forgotten the sacrifices of our loved ones,” Mome said, assuring that the money would be put to good use.

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Tinubu congratulates minister, NLNG boss on GECF roles

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President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, on his emergence as President of the 2026 Gas Exporting Countries Forum Ministerial Meeting held in Doha, Qatar.

PUNCH Online reports that the 27th ministerial meeting was held today, Thursday, in Doha, Qatar. Key items discussed include coordination among member states to address global policies that may pose challenges to the development and trade of natural gas.

Participants also discussed organisational matters, including the election of the next GECF Secretary-General and preparations for the 8th GECF Heads of State Summit, to be held in Moscow.

In a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President also felicitated with the Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Limited, Philip Mshelbila, on his election as Secretary-General of the GECF.

The president described their new roles as a further consolidation of Nigeria’s leadership in global gas diplomacy.

Tinubu expressed confidence that both Mshelbila and Ekpo will represent Nigeria with excellence and collaborate with other member states to deepen cooperation, stability, and inclusivity in the global gas market.

“The Nigerian government is proud of Mshelbila’s election as secretary-general and Ekpo’s emergence as president of the GECF Ministerial meeting, as the two positions reflect the international community’s confidence in Nigeria’s leadership and technical expertise in the global gas sector,” the President said.

“Natural gas remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrial growth, energy security, and economic transformation under our administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Our country shall remain a dependable voice in advancing equitable energy access and a cleaner energy future,” he added.

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Trailer kills Kogi varsity lecturer

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Tragedy struck in the university community of Felele, Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, on Wednesday, as a heavy-duty truck crushed a lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts, Federal University, Lokoja.

The Kogi State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Tenimu Etuku, confirmed the death of the lecturer, Mrs Kemi Emmanuel, on Thursday in a telephone conversation with our correspondent in Lokoja, describing the incident as “very sad and unfortunate.”

Etuku said the accident occurred around 3:30 pm on Wednesday when the lecturer fell off a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as an okada, after being hit by a speeding truck along the highway at Crusher, in the Lokoja metropolis.

“When the accident happened, our rescue team responded promptly and quickly rushed the victim to the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

“The corpse of the deceased has been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary,” he said.

The FRSC commander expressed shock over the conduct of the okada rider involved in the incident.

This heartrending occurrence has once again highlighted growing concerns over the increasing frequency of accidents involving heavy-duty trucks along the busy Felele axis.

PUNCH Online reports that in May 2025, 19 people, including five children, lost their lives in a tragic accident along the Obajana–Lokoja road, prompting the Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, to call for stricter enforcement of road traffic laws on federal highways.

Similarly, in April, six persons died in a road crash involving a passenger bus along the Lokoja–Abuja road, while on October 12, ten persons were killed in another accident along the same Obajana–Lokoja route.

Residents and students have since voiced their concerns, urging the Kogi State Government to take immediate and strategic actions to prevent further tragic loss of lives in similar incidents.

It has been strongly suggested that regulations be introduced to restrict trailers from passing through the city during the day, allowing their movement only after 9:00 pm.

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