Politics
Ibori Bombs Supreme Court, APC
Former governor of Delta State, James Onanefe Ibori has come down hard on the Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the fiscal autonomy granted to Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas.
Following the handing down of the SCN’s decision on the matter on Thursday, the publisher of Daily Independent took to his verified X handle to vent his disappointment at the architects of what he termed “a severe setback on the principle of federalism” as enshrined in the Constitution.
Ibori could not hide his anger at the SCN’s decision, which he stated ran contrary to section 162(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
In the tweet, which was signed with his full names, James Onanefe Ibori, he wondered why the apex court should turn blind eyes to section 162(6) of the constitution which states that, “Each State shall maintain a special account to be called “State Joint Local Government Account” into which shall be paid all allocations to the Local Government Councils of the State from the Federation Account and from the Government of the State.”
It is the considered opinion of the respected godfather of Delta politics that “The court’s ruling on the matter is an assault on true federalism.”
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He expressed optimism that the ruling would be reviewed sooner than later to right the wrongs.
“It is my sincere hope that the judgement delivered today will be reviewed at the earliest time possible because it clearly stands the concept of federalism on its head,” he stated.
Ibori wrote, “The Supreme Court has dealt a severe setback on the principle of federalism as defined by section 162(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The section expressly provides thus:
“Any amount standing to the credit of the Federation Account shall be distributed among the Federal and State Governments and the Local Government Councils in each State on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly”.
“Sections 6 provide further clarity on the subject matter.
(6) Each State shall maintain a special account to be called “State Joint Local Government Account” into which shall be paid all allocations to the Local Government Councils of the State from the Federation Account and from the Government of the State.
“The court’s ruling on the matter is an assault on true federalism. The federal government has no right to interfere with the administration of Local Governments in under any guise whatsoever. There are only two tiers of government in a federal system of government.
“I’m opposed to fiddling with the allocations to the Joint LG Accounts at the state level but that in itself does not call for this death knell to the clear provisions of section 162 of the constitution. The implications of the ruling are far reaching and the issues that readily come to mind are:
“1. Constitutional Interpretation: The Supreme Court’s ruling appears to contradict the explicit provisions of Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution. This raises questions about judicial interpretation and whether the court has overstepped its bounds in reinterpreting clear constitutional language.
“2. Balance of Power: The ruling potentially shifts the balance of power between the federal government and states. By allowing federal intervention in local government finances, it arguably centralizes more power at the federal level, contrary to the principles of federalism.
“3. State Autonomy: This decision could be seen as an erosion of state autonomy. States are meant to have significant control over their internal affairs, including the administration of local governments, in a federal system.
“4. Financial Independence: The ruling may impact the financial independence of states and local governments. If the federal government can directly intervene in local government finances, it could potentially use this as a tool for political leverage.
“5. Precedent Setting: This decision could set a precedent for further federal interventions in areas traditionally reserved for state governance, potentially leading to a more centralized system of government over time.
“That Local Governments must be “democratically elected” goes without saying. Yes, I agree, that’s the position of the constitution but withholding their allocation is not the way to go. It’s wrong.
“In the coming days, we will begin to fully understand the implications of the Supreme Court decision. An assault on the constitution is not the answer to fiddling with the Joint LG Account. If the ruling is saying Governors cannot temper, touch, fiddle with the Joint Accounts, that’s fine because they shouldn’t be doing that in the first place. But asking the Federal Government to pay Local Governments allocations to the account of the Local Government directly will lead to utter chaos and avoidable friction in governance.
“Like the Hon. Justice Oputa JSC of blessed memory once said in describing the Supreme Court ” we are not final because we are infallible, but we are infallible only because we are final”.
“It is my sincere hope that the judgement delivered today will be reviewed at the earliest time possible because it clearly stands the concept of federalism on its head.”
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has said Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, cannot simultaneously support the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other political parties.
Lawal made the statement while commenting on Wike’s involvement with the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political platform associated with efforts to support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television’s Inside Sources on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Lawal said Wike needed to make his political position clear.
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“Our message is very very clear, be on one side, you can’t be on two sides. If you are in APC, please come out and support the APC, not you are supporting APC here and you are supporting some other political parties somewhere else,” Lawal said.
The Zamfara governor said APC governors would maintain their position on the matter despite Wike’s comments.
“We maintain our stand and the message is very clear. He can speak, he can say whatever he wants to say, but our position has been very clear, APC all the way from head to toe,” he said.
Asked whether the governors were effectively asking Wike to join the APC, Lawal replied, “exactly.”
Lawal also disclosed that he would discuss Wike’s political position with President Tinubu when the President returns from his working vacation in France.
“It’s something I will discuss with the President when he comes back. Let there be a clear line where this guy belongs to. It’s either he is in APC or he is out, simple. So I go with my brothers, the governors,” he said.
Wike, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has repeatedly expressed support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election while maintaining his association with the Rainbow Coalition.
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said he supports the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election while maintaining that he will not oppose President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s candidacy.
Otti made the statement during an interview on Arise TV on Friday while discussing the 2027 presidential election and his position on Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The governor said he had previously stated that he had a presidential candidate, but clarified that he was referring to the Labour Party candidate.
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Asked if he was supporting the candidate, Otti said, “Yes.”
However, when questioned about whether he was supporting Tinubu, the Abia governor said Tinubu had a right to contest the 2027 election.
“What do you expect me to say? To say I’m not supporting him?” Otti asked.
He added that he had already stated that Tinubu had the right to run and that nobody could stop him from contesting.
Otti also explained that he was not in a position to oppose Tinubu’s candidacy.
“I’m not going to oppose his candidacy, and it is not within my right, even as a human being to… so I can choose what I want to do,” he said.
According to him, opposing a candidate while being part of government could create internal conflict, stressing that disagreements over policies should be addressed within government meetings.
“When you say opposition and you are part of a government, then what you are driving towards is implosion. So if I do have a problem with anything, I’ll sit down in one of our meetings and I’ll make my point,” he said.
Otti further said some policies implemented by the Tinubu administration resonate with his thinking, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy.
“Quite frankly, there are a lot of things that we have talked about now that he has implemented that resonate with me and my thinking,” he said.
He maintained that the fuel subsidy was unsustainable, adding that any decision to reintroduce it would require adequate funding.
Otti also noted that, as a governor and member of the National Economic Council, he is part of discussions and decisions concerning policies implemented by the federal government.
Former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has ruled out seeking the office of governor again, saying he would not return to the position even if Nigeria’s Constitution is amended.
Obi made the declaration in a statement on X on Friday while addressing the ongoing controversy over Anambra State’s debt, saying he had no disagreement with the state’s incumbent governor, Chukwuma Soludo, or any other governor in Nigeria.
“I am not seeking the office of governor in any state, and I will not seek that position again, even if the Constitution is amended,” Obi said.
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The former governor also dismissed suggestions of a personal dispute with Soludo, describing him as his “dear elder brother.”
“I wish to assure the public that I have no disagreement with my dear elder brother, Governor Soludo, or with any governor in Nigeria,” he said.
Obi’s declaration comes amid the ongoing public debate over financial obligations allegedly linked to his administration in Anambra State.
He said he had remained silent over the past few days because he was grieving the death of his “very dear elder brother and friend,” Chief Okey Ezeibe, but said he had decided to respond to issues that had occupied public discussion.
Beyond the Anambra controversy, Obi also called on governors across the country to allow political opponents to campaign freely in their states ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He urged governors to support whichever presidential candidates they preferred while also permitting other presidential candidates and contenders for other offices to campaign without interruption.
“Ultimately, voters should be allowed to determine whom they wish to serve them,” Obi said.
He further urged political actors and Nigerians to focus on the challenges confronting the country and the hardship being experienced by citizens rather than what he described as political distractions.
Obi is currently the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election.
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