The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to withhold funds from states that have failed to hold credible local government elections.
On October 5, elections were held at the grassroots levels in several states, including Rivers, Benue, Akwa Ibom, and Jigawa. Most states, however, have yet to conduct local government elections and continue to collect funds from federal allocations for their respective local councils.
The group was dissatisfied with the development and condemned the actions of some state governors.
In a statement on Sunday, SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, specifically wants Tinubu to “direct Mr. Olawale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, to immediately withhold federal allocations to states that have failed and/or refused to conduct credible local government elections, and to ensure that any allocations from the Federation Account are paid only to democratically elected local government councils and no other body or institution.”
Oluwadare urged the President to provide “details on the number of local government councils that have directly received federal allocations and whether the councils are democratically elected, as provided for by the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and ordered by the Supreme Court in its judgment of 11 July 2024.”
“Your government has an obligation to enforce the Nigerian Constitution and prevent public wrongdoing, including by state governors,” he added.
“A democratically elected local government council does not and should not exist at the discretion of governors or their ‘political godfathers’.
“Your government also has the constitutional obligation to ensure accountability for the spending of federal allocations and immediate compliance with the judgment by the Supreme Court and the rule of law.
“Local government councils are eligible for a direct payment from the Federation Account to promote good governance, people’s welfare, and the development of local government areas throughout the country.
“Where the rule of law reigns, political expediency should be sacrificed on the altar of the rule of law to ensure the survival of institutions established to promote social values such as liberty, orderly conduct, and development.
“We would appreciate it if the recommended measures were implemented within 7 days of receipt and/or publication of this letter.” If we do not hear from you by then, SERAP will consider taking appropriate legal action to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.
“It will be entirely consistent with the rule of law to immediately withhold federal allocations to states that have failed and/or refused to hold local government elections, and to ensure that any allocations from the Federation Account are paid only to democratically elected councils and no other body or institution.”