President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has denied speculations making the rounds that he is at war with state governors over his push for local government autonomy across the country.
In July 2024, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgement affirming financial autonomy for the 774 local government areas in the country.
Even though many of the governors rushed to conduct local government elections in their states, their body language has shown that many are not comfortable with the move initiated by the federal government.
But addressing state governors who paid him New Year homage led by Vice President Kashim Shettima and members of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Tinubu emphasised the critical role of state governors in driving Nigeria’s development and prosperity, saying their leadership at the subnational level is central to achieving food security, economic prosperity and rapid national growth.
“You are the most important link to Nigeria’s prosperity and development. The federal government accounts for about 30 to 35 per cent of the allocated revenue; the rest comes to you. The agricultural value chain depends on you. You own the land, and the job is in your hands,” he said.
President Tinubu called for stronger collaboration between the federal and state governments to address pressing challenges, including local government autonomy, agricultural productivity and currency stability.
Expressing his commitment to local government development and autonomy, the president stressed its importance for grassroots development and dispelled rumours of disagreement with the governors.
“We will not fight within us. I will drive the change. You control your local governments. You can restore hope by effectively fulfilling what the people expect at the grassroots level.
“There were gossips that we had disagreements on local government autonomy. No. Just drive development at the local government. Nobody wants to take them away from you, but we need collaboration. Let’s do it together and ensure Nigeria is better off for it.”
