Undemocratic LGAs: 19 States Govern 433 Councils with Caretaker Committees

In a setback for Nigeria’s democratic efforts, 19 state governors are currently administering local councils through transition or caretaker committees, bypassing the constitutional mandate for elected officials.

A detailed investigation reveals that 433 out of the 774 local councils, accounting for 58.2%, lack elected leadership. This contravenes Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates democratically elected local government officials.

The situation is set to worsen with upcoming expirations of council tenures in Jigawa and Rivers. Presently, only 311 councils across 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory have elected representatives.

Regional Disparities

Best and Worst Performers

North-East: Best performing region with 37 out of 112 councils democratically run.

North-West: Worst affected, with 115 out of 186 councils under caretaker committees.

South-East: Close behind, with 82 of 95 councils lacking elected officials.

Notable States

Anambra: No local elections since 2014, marking a decade without elected council officials.

Imo: Last elections in 2018, leaving the state without elected councils for over five years.

Kwara: Last local government elections were held in 2017, with caretaker committees in place since 2020.

Zamfara: Local elections were last held in April 2019, returning to caretaker management post-tenure expiry.

Legal and Financial Implications

The Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that state governors lack the authority to dismiss elected council officials, labeling such actions as “official recklessness.” Despite this, federal allocations to councils without elected officials have continued, contrary to recommendations.

Efforts to ensure direct financial allocations to councils via the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) guidelines were thwarted by governors in 2019.

Senate Interventions

On May 15, 2024, the Senate urged the Federal Government to halt funding to local councils led by caretaker committees. Senator Suleiman Kawu highlighted the critical need for empowered local governments to address security, infrastructure decay, and unemployment effectively.

Supporting the motion, several senators, including Ahmad Lawan and Orji Uzor Kalu, emphasized the importance of returning funds directly to local councils and enhancing their operational capacity.