Politics

LG AUTONOMY: Nigeria's 774 LGAs Set To Challenge Federal And State Govts In Court

 By Anu Awojobi

Come Tuesday April 15, 2025 the Federal High Court Abuja will hear a suit filed by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria(ALGON) against the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) among other defendants over the implementation of local government autonomy.

This is contained in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/353/2025 and instituted by the Registered Trustees of ALGON against the Attorney General of the Federation, the Minister of Finance, State Commissioners for Finance and 21 others.
Other defendants in the lawsuit include the Minister of Budget and National Planning; the Accountant-General of the Federation; the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission; the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, commercial banks and one Bello Lawal.

Following the Supreme Court judgment of July 11, 2024, which granted financial autonomy to Local Governments the union ALGON filed a suit seeking an order restraining the disbursement of funds to local governments without its approval.

ALGON had demanded that the 774 local governments be granted representation at the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meetings where allocations are being addressed.