Peter Obi Should Break His Silence and Commend Tinubu on Local Government Autonomy – Presidency

The presidency has criticized Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, for his silence following the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments.

Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, called on Obi to emulate Atiku Abubakar by acknowledging the significance of the ruling and recognizing the president’s efforts to improve Nigeria.

In a post on his X account, Onanuga stated, “Why is Peter Obi silent? More than 36 hours after the Supreme Court gave a landmark ruling, granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local councils, Mr. Peter Obi, the defeated Labour Party candidate, has yet to utter a word on the epochal judgment. His silence confirms the belief that he is always quick to tweet unverified news about the Tinubu administration or our country. A good opposition statesman must be candid enough to applaud his political opponent when he has done some great deed. The Tinubu administration has succeeded in giving life back to our emasculated councils, using the instrumentality of the law. Even Atiku Abubakar has grudgingly admitted this. But Peter has been silent. He should break his silence and acknowledge that President Tinubu is making a great Nigeria possible.”

The Supreme Court’s ruling mandates that federal funds for local government councils be paid directly into their accounts. Justice Emmanuel Agim, who led the seven-member panel, delivered the judgment in a suit filed by the federal government against the 36 state governors. The court prohibited governors from receiving, tampering with, or withholding funds meant for local governments and barred them from dissolving democratically elected local government officials, deeming such actions a breach of the 1999 Constitution.