People’s Democratic Party has described the Supreme Court judgment

granting autonomy to local Governments as a potential recipe for trouble.

A month after the judgment, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo

Ologunagba, addressed a world press conference in Abuja on Sunday, stating

that the matter is not yet settled.

This is coming after on July 11, the Supreme Court ruled that the 36 state

governors can no longer control funds meant for the 774 Local Government

Areas (LGs) in Nigeria. The judgment, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim,

affirmed that the local governments must manage their own funds,

reinforcing their financial independence and also declared that state

governments lack the authority to appoint caretaker committees for local

councils, recognizing only democratically elected local governments.

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who is the Vice Chairman of the Nigeria

Governors’ Forum, had warned that the public will bear the consequences of

the judgment, adding that the PDP is currently reviewing the judgment and

stressed the importance of addressing issues of this magnitude through

dialogue rather than through the courts.

The PDP spokesman said, if issues arise within a local Government, the

chairman will reach out to the state governors, not the Federal Government,

adding that governors have a crucial role in managing local Governments.