Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to ensure that funds allocated to Nigeria’s 774 local government councils are paid directly to them if he wins the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku made the commitment through a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, as part of his campaign agenda ahead of the 2027 elections.
The former vice president said his administration would uphold the rule of law and respect the constitutional independence of all levels of government, including local councils.
He also promised to enforce the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment on local government financial autonomy, which affirmed that funds due to local governments should be transferred directly to them from the Federation Account.
According to Atiku, implementing the judgment would strengthen local councils and enable them to exercise greater control over resources meant for development at the grassroots.
He argued that direct access to allocations would help local governments provide essential services, tackle poverty and respond more effectively to security challenges within their communities.
“My administration will respect court judgments, protect local government autonomy, ensure that public funds reach the people for whom they are meant, and restore true federalism,” Atiku said.
The ADC candidate also criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over what he described as its failure to fully implement the Supreme Court ruling.
Atiku alleged that the Federal Government had been reluctant to confront state governors who previously exercised significant control over local government finances.
He further claimed that the continued control of council funds could be politically motivated as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
The Supreme Court, in its July 2024 ruling, affirmed the financial autonomy of local governments and ordered that allocations from the Federation Account should be paid directly to the councils.
The judgment followed a suit instituted by the Federal Government against the 36 state governors over the administration and funding of local governments.
Atiku maintained that a government committed to true federalism must ensure that each tier of government has access to the resources assigned to it by law.
He said giving local governments financial independence would bring governance closer to citizens and improve their ability to address development and security challenges at the community level.
The pledge is expected to form part of Atiku’s broader campaign message as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
