The House of Representatives has asked the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Taxation Commission (RMAFC) to stop all legal allocations to local governments run by unelected officials appointed by governors.
This resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance tabled by Ademorin Kuye (APC, Lagos) on Tuesday during plenary.
In the motion, Mr Kuye claimed that 21 states in the country are operating caretaker committees instead of elected local government officials as provided for in Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution.
The legislator described this as an attack on democracy and the rule of law.
“The dissolution of democratically elected councils is in direct contravention of Article 7 of the Nigerian Constitution and the pronouncements of the Supreme Court on such matters, and constitutes a deliberate attack on democracy.
“The number of states acting with impunity and in total disregard for the constitution continues to rise as no fewer than 21 state governors currently head local government councils with caretaker committees,” he said.
The legislator pointed out that local governments are very vital for the sustainability of democracy, since they are the closest to the people.
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“Local government, as provided for in the Constitution, is the most important level of government because it is closest to the people and forms the basis of the state and federal governments,” he said.
Mr. Kuye revealed that the motion is consistent with the Senate’s recent stance on the same issue, adding that “this impunity and disregard for the constitution is a deliberate effort to overshadow democracy, frustrate accountability and transparency in local government, and also frustrate its development potential.
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“In December 2023, the Senate passed a resolution to stop the allocation to some states after a debate on a motion sponsored by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, on the urgent need to stop the erosion of democracy in local governments,” Kuye said.
Accordingly, the House resolved that the State and Local Government Affairs and Finance Committees should work with the Revenue Mobilization, Appropriation and Taxation Commission (RMAFC) to withhold appropriations from local governments run by non-elected officials.
He also urged the RMAFC to create a special account into which allocations due to local governments run by non-elected officials will be paid until such state governments appoint elected representatives.
The House also asked the federal attorney general to take legal action against any state that terminates the unexpired terms of local government officials.