President Bola Tinubu has issued a stern warning to state governors, stating that he may be compelled to sign an Executive Order to ensure direct allocation of funds to local governments if they fail to comply with the recent Supreme Court judgment affirming LG financial autonomy.
Speaking on Friday at the 15th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, Tinubu emphasized his readiness to act decisively if governors continue to withhold funds meant for the third tier of government.
In his words “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.”
His remarks, though indirect, clearly addressed long standing issues of state governments allegedly diverting or sitting on allocations meant for local councils.
The President’s comments were made in the presence of APC governors, National Working Committee members, and other key party stakeholders, sending a strong signal that the era of sidelining local governments may soon be over.
The move aligns with growing public demand for stronger local governance and fiscal transparency, especially as grassroots development continues to suffer under the current arrangement.
