Supreme Court Grants LG Financial Autonomy

On 11 July 2024, the Supreme Court ruled on a suit filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), against the 36 states. Reading the lead judgment of a seven-member panel, Justice Emmanuel Agim held that allocations for the 774 local government councils must be paid directly into their own accounts, and that states may not keep or spend those funds. The court also held that governors cannot appoint caretaker committees to run councils. Justice Habeeb Abiru partly dissented. The ruling took control of council money away from state-local government joint accounts. It also outlawed the caretaker committees many governors had used in place of elected councils.