El-Rufai First Northern Governor to Attempt Granting Local Government Autonomy – Son

Bello El-Rufai, House of Representatives member for Kaduna North, praised his father, former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, as the first in Northern Nigeria to champion full autonomy for local governments. Bello expressed confidence that history will acknowledge and justify his father’s efforts.

Taking to X platform, Bello posted: “Mal. @elrufai was the first Governor in Northern Nigeria to attempt granting local government full autonomy. History will vindicate Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.”

This declaration comes amid significant judicial developments, notably the Supreme Court’s recent ruling barring the Federal Government from channeling local governments’ allocations through state governments.

In a landmark decision delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the court deemed it unconstitutional for state governments to retain control over local government allocations. The ruling, which stems from a suit on local government autonomy filed by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, mandates that local government allocations be paid directly, without state government interference.

Justice Agim’s verdict explicitly prohibits governors from withholding or manipulating funds earmarked for local governments. Additionally, it forbids the dissolution of democratically elected local government officials, underscoring such actions as constitutional violations under the 1999 Constitution.