Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi has cautioned states not to disobey verdict of the Supreme Court on local government autonomy.
Gatekeepers News reports that the AGF noted that no one has the authority to reverse the supreme court’s ruling while speaking with reporters in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday.
Fagbemi emphasised that the supreme court’s decision is binding and non-negotiable, and all parties must comply.
The minister’s remark was in response to the recently enacted Anambra State Local Government Administration Law 2024 by the state Governor, Chukwuma Soludo who argued that it was necessary due to complexities surrounding absolute local government autonomy.
Soludo said, “Absolute autonomy for the 774 local government areas in the country is unrealistic and could cause disorder if not carefully structured.”
The AGF however dismissed such an attempt to amend the Supreme Court’s ruling, saying, “Are they going to rewrite the judgment of the Supreme Court? Once we have the full details of their law, we will act accordingly.”
Commenting on speculation of a three-month grace period for the ruling’s implementation, Fagbemi clarified, “There is no such moratorium. The judgment was passed, but we acknowledged the need to establish certain frameworks before full implementation. Nonetheless, implementation is compulsory, and no one can avoid it.”
The AGF added that federal government’s cautious approach is to prevent legal issues during enforcement of the autonomy.
He said, “Some states have scheduled elections beyond October, and we are assessing whether those timelines are valid. We do not want to rush into implementation that could lead to legal complications or nullification by the courts.”
The minister further warned that any state attempting to disregard the Supreme Court ruling would be in contempt.
He concluded, “I am aware that one or two states are heading in that direction, but they must understand that there is no moratorium for anyone. The judgment will be enforced.”
