The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to withhold federal allocations to states that have not conducted credible local government elections.
On October 5, elections took place at the grassroots level in several states, including Rivers, Benue, Akwa Ibom, and Jigawa. However, many states have yet to hold local government polls while still receiving allocations for their local councils.
SERAP expressed dissatisfaction with this situation, condemning the actions of some state governors. In a statement from Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization urged President Tinubu to direct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun, to immediately withhold federal allocations from states that have failed or refused to conduct credible local government elections.
Additionally, SERAP called on the President to ensure that any allocations from the Federation Account are paid only to democratically elected local government councils and not to any other body or institution.
The organization also urged the President to publish details regarding the number of local government councils that have directly received federal allocations and whether those councils are democratically elected, as stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and as ordered by the Supreme Court in its judgment of July 11, 2024.
“Your government has the obligation to enforce the Nigerian Constitution and to prevent public wrong, including by state governors.
“A democratically elected local government council does not and should not exist at the pleasure, whims, and caprice of governors or their political godfathers.
“Your government also has the constitutional obligation to ensure accountability for the spending of federal allocations and immediate compliance with the judgment by the Supreme Court and the rule of law,” SERAP stated.
