Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, has accused President Bola Tinubu of deliberately ignoring a Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments. Atiku claims Tinubu's inaction is a calculated move to lure opposition governors into the All Progressives Congress (APC) and maintain control over governors within the ruling party ¹ ² ³.

The Supreme Court had ruled in July 2024 that state governments cannot retain or manage funds allocated to local government areas, declaring it unconstitutional. Atiku argues that withholding financial autonomy from local governments is crippling communities, stalling development, and deepening poverty at the grassroots.

Atiku urges Tinubu to instruct the Attorney-General of the Federation to enforce the judgment immediately, stating that anything short of this is a failure of leadership. He warns that continued inaction sends a message that political control matters more than constitutional duty and economic justice ⁴ ⁵ ⁶.