LG Autonomy: Tinubu warns governors, considering Executive Order to enforce direct allocations

LG Autonomy: Tinubu warns governors, considering Executive Order to enforce direct allocations

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a stern warning to state governors over the continued withholding of local government funds, declaring that he may resort to an Executive Order to enforce the direct release of federal allocations to councils nationwide.
The President delivered the warning on Friday at the 15th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC), held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Tinubu expressed displeasure that, despite a recent Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments, several governors have failed to comply.

He stressed that the ruling must be implemented without delay, warning that patience from the Federal Government should not be mistaken for weakness.
Addressing governors, members of the party’s National Working Committee and other stakeholders, Tinubu said the onus was on the states to obey the apex court’s decision or risk federal intervention.
“The Supreme Court judgment must be implemented. If you wait for my Executive Order—because I have the knife, I have the yam, I will cut it,” the President said pointedly.
He added that while he had chosen to show restraint, continued disobedience would no longer be tolerated.

READ ALSO:

• Nigeria Customs Uncovers Decades-Old Drug Seizures from 1986-1987, Hands Over to NDLEA
• INEC Urges PDP Factions to Reconcile Ahead of 2026 Off-Season Elections
• Lawmakers’ Safety at Risk: Akpabio Appeals to Tinubu Over Police Withdrawal

“Otherwise, if you don’t start to implement it, FAAC after FAAC, you will see,” he warned, referring to the Federation Account Allocation Committee meetings.

Tinubu also spoke on the circumstances surrounding his emergence as president, describing his victory as divinely ordained.

Reflecting on the 2023 election period, he recalled the severe hardships Nigerians endured, including food shortages, fuel scarcity and the controversial currency redesign policy.

According to him, the convergence of these crises created immense suffering, with some citizens unable to afford a single meal a day, yet he persisted through what he described as an exceptionally difficult political journey.

“I faced obstacles on my path to the presidency, but God brought us here. I am a symbol of that because without Him, I wouldn’t be here,” Tinubu said.

He noted that key party leaders, including Governors Mai Mala Buni and Uba Sani, were aware of the challenges he faced. “There was currency redesign chaos and endless queues at filling stations. People died from hunger due to cash scarcity, all for one election,” the President added.

Tinubu’s remarks are expected to heighten pressure on state governments to comply with the Supreme Court ruling, as the debate over local government autonomy continues to shape Nigeria’s governance and fiscal structure.

 

LG Autonomy: Tinubu warns governors, considering Executive Order to enforce direct allocations