The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend federal allocations to states that have not conducted credible local government elections.
On October 5, local elections took place in several states, including Rivers, Benue, Akwa Ibom, and Jigawa. However, many other states have yet to hold such elections while still receiving funding for their local councils.
SERAP expressed discontent over this situation, labeling the actions of some state governors as inappropriate. In a statement issued on Sunday by Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization called on President Tinubu to instruct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun, to promptly withhold federal funds from states that have failed or refused to conduct credible local government elections.
The organization further requested that any allocations from the Federation Account be granted solely to democratically elected local government councils and not to any other entity.
Additionally, SERAP encouraged the President to disclose the number of local government councils that have received federal allocations directly and verify whether these councils are democratically elected, as stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and reaffirmed by the Supreme Court’s ruling on July 11, 2024.
“Your administration is obligated to uphold the Nigerian Constitution and prevent abuses of power by state governors,” SERAP stated.
They emphasized that a democratically elected local government council should not exist at the discretion of governors or their political allies. The organization also reminded the President of the constitutional duty to ensure accountability in the use of federal funds and to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling and the rule of law.