Former minister of transportation and ex-governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has pledged to amend the constitution if elected president in 2027.
Gatekeepers News reports that speaking during an X Spaces conversation on Saturday, Amaechi said his proposed reforms would grant financial autonomy to local government areas (LGAs) and establish an independent local government authority but strictly through the National Assembly, not the Supreme Court.
He said, “I will amend the constitution. I will go for a constitutional amendment. That judgment by the Supreme Court was wrong. I won’t go the way of the Supreme Court. I won’t go the way of the Tinubu government.”
“There would be a huge constitutional amendment if I win, where we would address everything about Nigeria.”
Amaechi criticised the July 11, 2024, Supreme Court ruling, which directed the federal government to pay allocations directly to LGAs and barred Governors from appointing caretaker committees.
He said that such changes should follow due legislative process, noting that the constitution still mandates local government funds to pass through the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC).
The former Governor also vowed to reform LGA elections by creating truly independent electoral commissions, not controlled by Governors.
He said, “ I will not be part of those who want to hijack the state independent electoral commission. Part of the constitution amendment is to create an independent electoral commission that is not appointed by the governor.”
“Part of the amendment is that the local government tenure will be three to four years.
When that tenure expires, the governor will not call for election, the state independent electoral commission will call for election.”
