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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend federal allocations to states that have not conducted credible local government elections.
Following the local elections held in several states such as Rivers, Benue, Akwa Ibom, and Jigawa on October 5, many other states continue to receive funds for their local councils despite not organizing similar elections.
Expressing concern over the situation, SERAP criticized certain state governors for neglecting this critical democratic process.
In a statement released on Sunday by Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s Deputy Director, the organization urged President Tinubu to instruct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun, to immediately withhold funds from states that have either refused or failed to carry out legitimate local government elections.
The group also asked the President to ensure that federal allocations are only distributed to democratically elected local government councils, in line with constitutional requirements.
Additionally, SERAP urged Tinubu to make public the details of local government councils that have directly received federal funds, confirming whether these councils were democratically elected, as outlined in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) and the Supreme Court’s ruling of July 11, 2024.
“Your administration has a duty to uphold the Constitution and prevent public misconduct, particularly from state governors,” the statement read.
SERAP emphasized that democratically elected local councils should not exist at the mercy of governors or political influencers. It further noted that Tinubu’s government must ensure accountability in the use of federal funds and ensure immediate compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision and the rule of law.
