FG Needs Political Will to Free LGs from Stranglehold of Governors, Say CSOs

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia


The federal government has been urged to muster the political will to free the third tier of government from the vice grips of state governors for democracy to thrive at the grassroots.

The call was made by civil society organisations (CSOs) and participants in a workshop held in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, to strengthen the capacity of LG workers to operate efficient and transparent grassroots administration.

Even with the Supreme Court judgement which declared governors’ confiscation of council funds illegal, the state chief executives have shown no sign of relaxing their stranglehold of their respective LGs.

“Beyond executive orders and court pronouncements, the federal government must demonstrate political will to fully restore LG autonomy,” the CSOs said in a communique issued at the end of the October 1, 2025 workshop.

The participants faulted the provision for the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) in the 1999 Constitution, saying that it was “enabling state-level hijack of funds” thereby crippling the LGs.

According to the CSOs, the federal government could engender full autonomy of LGs by pushing for “speedy and singular amendment of 1999 Constitution to abolish JAAC and empowering INEC (instead of State Electoral Commissions) to conduct LGA elections.”

“Restoring LGAs as a functional third tier will strengthen accountability, local development, and democracy,” the participants stated in their communique.

Though the implementation of full autonomy of the local government system appears to be dragging on, the CSOs expressed optimism that it would eventually happen sooner than expected following the ongoing constitutional amendments.

It was in preparation for the full political and economic autonomy of the 774 LGs that the training programme was organised by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situationroom) in partnership with Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR). The funding support was provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) UK.

Themed ‘Economic Literacy and Budget Accountability: A Prelude to Local Government Political and Financial Autonomy’, the training programme brought together over 40 participants including planning and accounts staff of Abìa LGs, and members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

Other participants included Civil Society Organisations, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Community Leaders, National Youth Council, National Council for Women Societies, women groups, religious groups, and the media.

The communique endorsed by nine signatories representing the various CSOs, noted that LG is “the closest tier of governance to citizens” hence “its neglect directly undermines citizens’ perception of democracy.”

They commended Abia Governor, Alex Otti, for acknowledging that “without a functional and empowered LGAs the good works (being done by his administration) might not be sustained after his tenure or replicated in the 17 LGAs.”

But the participants tasked Otti to “take the lead in implementing LG autonomy even before constitutional amendments are finalised”, adding that it “will help replicate his works at the Local government levels and sustain local development.”

Abia was urged to ensure budget transparency and participation with all LG budgets made “publicly available and developed through inclusive community processes starting with budget call circulars from the LGAs.”

On spending of federal allocations, the participants stated that such funds to all the LGAs in Abia and the South-east in general “must be spent exclusively within the concerned LGA, with citizens empowered to track utilisation.”

They urged Abia State and other 35 state governments to start sharing internally generated revenue with the LGs, just as the federal government shares its revenue with states and LGs, noting that such sharing arrangements would boost local economy.

On public disclosure of LG finances, the participants emphasised that “annual financial and audit reports of all 17 LGAs in Abia, and across the South-east, must be published in line with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.”