President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, urged state governors to respect the Supreme Court’s ruling that granted autonomy to the 774 local government areas across Nigeria, as reported by VANGUARD.
After a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Akpabio highlighted the Federal Government’s strong support for the separation of powers and the autonomy of all government branches, as advocated by President Tinubu and pursued through the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
Akpabio stated that the legislature must adhere to the Supreme Court’s ruling and called on all states to honor it. He noted that the legislature would work to make necessary adjustments to ensure the ruling’s full implementation, likening the Supreme Court’s words to those of a king, which must be implemented without fail. He described the day as a significant milestone for democracy, commending the President for his initiative and noting that local governments can now undertake projects independently, benefiting the grassroots.
Akpabio said, “Recall that the request was placed before the courts by the AGF because the Federal Government, through President Bola Tinubu, feels strongly about separation of powers and the need for autonomy of all arms of governments. And so for us in the legislature, the Supreme Court has spoken, and we have no option but to abide by the Supreme Court ruling.
“So, I will just call on all states of the federation to respect what the Supreme Court has done, and then we will go back to the legislature and see where we can dot the i’s and cross the t’s to ensure full implementation. Because you know the words of the Supreme Court are like the words of the king, they cannot go down to the ground without implementation.”
Addressing the issue of local government elections, Akpabio advised that impartial elections should be conducted at the local level to encourage participation from all political parties. He acknowledged that many parties currently show little interest in local elections due to perceived biases. He stressed the need for collaboration with the AGF’s office and the parliament to ensure real elections at the local government level, which would enhance confidence in the democratic process….Seë_Morë