Former Vice President and opposition leader, Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately implement the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments.

He warned that continued delay in enforcing the apex court ruling was crippling development at the grassroots.

Mr Abubakar call followed Mr Tinubu’s recent warning to state governors to comply with the apex court ruling or risk an Executive Order mandating direct allocation of funds from the Federation Account to local councils.

Speaking at the 15th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, Mr Tinubu cautioned that failure by governors to honour the judgment could compel the Federal Government to take decisive action to enforce compliance.

The position is hinged on a landmark Supreme Court judgment delivered on July 11, 2024, in which the court upheld the Federal Government’s suit seeking to guarantee financial independence for Nigeria’s 774 local government councils.

The apex court ruled that it was unconstitutional for state governments to withhold, control, or manage funds meant for local councils.

However, in a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday, Mr Abubakar accused the Tinubu administration of failing to enforce the ruling nearly two years after it was delivered.

“This is not delay. It is defiance,” Mr Abubakar said, alleging that Mr Tinubu’s inaction was a calculated political strategy aimed at using compliance with the law as leverage to coerce opposition governors into the APC and maintain control over governors within the ruling party.

He argued that Supreme Court judgments are final and binding, stressing that persistent refusal to enforce them amounts to a breach of the Constitution and a violation of the President’s oath of office.

Mr Abubakar further warned that withholding local government financial autonomy was harming ordinary Nigerians, not governors.

“Local governments are the closest arm of government to the people. By denying them financial autonomy, you are crippling communities, stalling development, and deepening poverty at the grassroots. Roads remain broken, health centres abandoned and salaries unpaid – not by accident, but by choice,” he said.

The former vice president dismissed the need for threats of executive orders, insisting that enforcement of the judgment was straightforward.

Mr Abubakar noted said that continued inaction sent a troubling signal that political control and party dominance were being prioritised over constitutional responsibility and economic justice for Nigerians.

“This situation does not require threats of Executive Orders or political drama. The solution is simple: instruct the Attorney-General of the Federation to enforce the judgment immediately. Anything short of this is a failure of leadership.

“Your continued inaction sends a clear message: that political control matters more than constitutional duty, that party dominance matters more than economic justice, and that regime survival outweighs the daily suffering of Nigerians already battered by harsh economic policies,” the statement added.