The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has affirmed that no state or individual possesses the authority to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.
Speaking in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday during a media chat, Fagbemi stressed that the apex court’s decision is binding and non-negotiable, and all parties must comply.
His remarks came in response to the recently enacted Anambra State Local Government Administration Law 2024, which Governor Chukwuma Soludo argued was necessary due to the complexities surrounding absolute local government autonomy.
Soludo had commented, “Absolute autonomy for the 774 local government areas in the country is unrealistic and could cause disorder if not carefully structured.”
However, the AGF dismissed any attempt to amend the Supreme Court’s ruling. “Are they going to rewrite the judgment of the Supreme Court? Once we have the full details of their law, we will act accordingly,” Fagbemi stated.
Regarding speculation of a three-month grace period for the ruling’s implementation, Fagbemi clarified, “There is no such moratorium. The judgment was passed, but we acknowledged the need to establish certain frameworks before full implementation. Nonetheless, implementation is compulsory, and no one can avoid it.”
Fagbemi added that the federal government’s cautious approach aims to prevent legal issues during the enforcement of the autonomy.
He said, “Some states have scheduled elections beyond October, and we are assessing whether those timelines are valid. We do not want to rush into implementation that could lead to legal complications or nullification by the courts.”
He concluded by warning that any state attempting to disregard the Supreme Court ruling would be in contempt.
“I am aware that one or two states are heading in that direction, but they must understand that there is no moratorium for anyone. The judgment will be enforced,” he declared.(punch)
