LG Autonomy: Ozigbo Charges Soludo To Conduct Elections Within 3 Months 

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), candidate in the 2021 Anambra State governorship election, Valentine Ozigbo has charged the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to make necessary arrangements and conduct local government elections within the next three months.

Ozigbo made the call while reacting to the Supreme Court judgment that granted 774 local government areas in Nigeria full autonomy.

Prime Business Africa had reported that the apex court on Thursday, 11 July, while ruling in a suit filed by the federal government through the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), held that it is unconstitutional for state governors to hold onto funds meant for local government administration.

READ ALSO: Mixed Reactions Trail Nigeria’s Supreme Court Judgment On LG Autonomy

The Supreme Court therefore ordered the federal government to immediately commence payment of funds meant for local governments into their exclusive accounts instead of the current state/local government Joint accounts.

The apex court equally barred state governors from dissolving democratically elected local leaders and appointing caretaker committee chairmen to run affairs at the local government level.

In a statement via his verified X handle Ozigbo, who is currently a member of the Labour Party, noted that since the Supreme Court held that the appointment of Caretaker Committees is illegal and unconstitutional, it means no Governor has any power to appoint Caretaker Committees to run the affairs of local government.

Ozigbo, who described the judgment as a victory for democracy, especially at the grassroots, stated that it is in line with what he has been advocating in Anambra State over the years.

Prime Business Africa reports that Anambra State has not conducted local government elections in the last 10 years.

In an interview with State House Correspondent on Thursday, after the Supreme Court judgment, Governor Soludo said he had promised to conduct local government elections during campaigns and that his administration has been working hard to put necessary institutions in place for it to be done. According to him, the process has started with passage of a Bill for the establishment of the State Independent Electoral Commission.

Highlighting the import of the apex court ruling, Ozigbo said: “This is time for autonomy for local governments as they would now manage their funds themselves and live up to their billing as the third tier of government.

“We, therefore, call on Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo to immediately put in motion concrete steps and timelines for the conduct of Local Government Election in the State in not more than three months.

“While the Supreme Court is forcing Governor Soludo to fulfill his promise of over two years to conduct a Local Government Election, it is expected that he understands that this is the time to move from rhetoric and promises to action.”

The former CEO of Transnational Corporations stressed that local government provides the opportunity for people at the grassroots to choose their leaders democratically. “These leaders will ensure transparency, accountability and responsiveness to the needs of their people at the local level,” he added

He further noted that the ruling on LG autonomy, has created a conducive environment for democratic principles will be entrenched.

“The era of the governor appointing his cronies and errand boys into Local Government positions purely for electoral calculations is over.

“With the election of Chairmen and Councilors for the Local Governments, democratic principles will be entrenched and issues such as brigands, touting, kidnapping, banditry, killings, and theft will significantly diminish. The time for the Governor to show that he respects the rule of law is now and he should not play ostrich or politics with it.”

He added that local government administrators are from henceforth expected to ensure that they live up to the people’s expectations. “They have been sleeping for a long time and this is a wake-up call for them to show that they are equal to the task of providing leadership and development at the local levels as the third tier of government,” Ozigbo added.