President Bola Tinubu has cautioned state governors that he could issue an Executive Order to guarantee direct payment of funds to local governments if states continue to flout a Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to councils.
The warning was delivered on Friday at the 15th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
Addressing governors and party leaders, Tinubu said, “The Supreme Court has capped it for you again, saying, ‘give them their money directly.’ If you wait for my Executive Order, because I have the knife, I have the yam, I will cut it.”
He added: “I’m just being very respectful and understanding with my governors. Otherwise, if you don’t start to implement it, fact after fact, you will see.”
The President’s remarks follow the July 11, 2024 Supreme Court decision, which ruled unanimously that state governments cannot withhold or administer funds meant for local councils.
The court ordered that allocations from the Federation Account be paid directly to local governments, in line with Section 162(5–8) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Many states have allegedly bypassed this provision through joint state-local government accounts.
Reiterating the importance of compliance, Tinubu stressed: “The ultimate goal is our Supreme Court. We have to comply. We have to respect the judgment.”
The NEC meeting was attended by governors, APC National Working Committee members, and other senior party officials, as the President emphasised that persistent violations could prompt decisive federal intervention.
