LG Autonomy: Edo Govt Blasts Supreme Court
Edo Governor Challenges Supreme Court And President Tinubu’s Local Government Autonomy Agenda
The brewing constitutional crisis in Edo State took a dramatic turn on Monday, as Governor Monday Okpebholo and the Edo State House of Assembly doubled down on their suspension of all 18 local government chairmen, defying a High Court order reversing the suspension and prohibiting further interference in local council affairs.
Justice Efe Ikponmwonba of the Edo High Court issued a mandatory injunction on Friday, declaring the suspension null and void and restraining the state government and other parties from meddling in local government operations until the substantive case is heard. However, state officials have flagrantly disregarded this ruling, signaling a direct challenge not only to the judiciary but also to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s hard-won victory on local government autonomy.
President Tinubu, a champion of restructuring and grassroots governance, successfully secured a landmark Supreme Court judgment in July affirming the financial and administrative independence of local councils. This decision marked a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s federalism, curbing decades of overreach by state governors. Yet, the Edo State Government has chosen to openly defy the President’s signature policy, claiming that state laws supersede federal mandates.
The crisis begun when Governor Okpebholo issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding local council chairmen submit their financial statements directly to him—an overreach into financial autonomy clearly defined by the Supreme Court. Following their refusal, the governor petitioned the state assembly to suspend the chairmen, citing “gross misconduct” under Section 10(1) of the Edo State Local Government Law (2000). This section, however, had already been declared unconstitutional by the Edo High Court in a separate judgment last month.
Despite these legal setbacks, the Edo Assembly promptly suspended the chairmen and their deputies for two months, disregarding both judicial authority and the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government independence.
The state government’s defiance has extended beyond local disputes to openly contradicting statements from the Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Lateef Fagbemi SAN. The AGF recently reaffirmed that only local councillors—not governors or state assemblies—hold the constitutional authority to suspend or remove elected local government officials.
