The opposition party described the move as a recipe for trouble.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the federal government is trying to create another bureaucracy through the Supreme Court judgement that granted autonomy to local governments across the country.
The opposition party described the move as a recipe for trouble.
Following the decision of the Supreme Court that noted that the 36 state governors can no longer control funds meant for the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the country, the PDP has taken a stance on it.
The judgment said local governments must manage their own funds.
The PDP stated its position while throwing support for an earlier statement by Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde which stood against the decision of the Supreme Court on local government autonomy.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba said, “We believe that if there are reforms to be made on the local government, it should be done in conjunction with the governors, not by the fiat of the federal government.
“But, of course, I believe that will not be the end of the matter as we speak because the people who have a responsibility for the local government are the governors.
“The federal government doesn’t see people in my village; it is the governors”
“If there is a problem in the local government, they won’t call the federal government; they will call the state government.”
Earlier Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said the decision of the Supreme Court was not in tandem with obtainable realities at the state and local government levels, stating that there should be homegrown solutions to address issues of local government autonomy.
Local government chairmen in Oyo state also recently left the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria to form their own association in defiance of the Supreme Court ruling, and also asked that their allocations be paid through the state government.
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