The spokesman for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC),Felix Morka, has called for comprehensive electoral reforms to ensure that the recent Supreme Court ruling on local government financial autonomy translates into effective governance at the grassroots level.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday, Morka said that while the Supreme Court’s decision to grant financial autonomy to local governments was a significant step forward, it is insufficient on its own to guarantee robust local governance.
In his comments, Morka praised the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement delivered last Thursday, which mandates that the Federal Government directly disburse 20.60% of the monthly federal allocation to the 774 local government councils across the country.
This ruling also imposes a restriction on state governors, prohibiting them from arbitrarily dissolving democratically elected local government councils.
However, Morka stressed that financial autonomy alone will not resolve the deeper issues affecting local government administration.
“The Supreme Court was right on the mark to grant local governments access to funds meant for them,” Morka asserted.
“But I don’t think this matter should engage the kind of controversy that I am seeing. The entire system for regulating local government elections needs a thorough overhaul.”
Morka argued that while the Supreme Court’s decision represents a crucial legal victory for local governments, it is ultimately insufficient if the electoral processes that determine local government leadership remain under the control of state governors.
He pointed out that the practice of governors handpicking local government chairmen undermines the spirit of the financial autonomy granted by the court’s ruling.
He further emphasised that the efficacy of this autonomy will depend on establishing a more transparent and independent electoral framework.
“The system of conducting elections in local governments must be revisited by both state governors and federal authorities,” Morka stated.
“They need to collaborate to create a regulatory framework that ensures elections are conducted with a degree of scrutiny, objectivity, and independence.
Giving financial autonomy is one thing, but if the individuals who manage these resources are appointed by the same governors, we are not addressing the root of the problem.”
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