By Akinsuroju Olubunmi
Attorney General’s error in Local Government suit.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has criticized the joint suit filed against the 36 state governors over alleged misconduct in local government administration, calling it a “legal anomaly.” Speaking at a two-day legal summit in Ikeja, Sanwo-Olu emphasized that local governments in Lagos State already enjoy full autonomy.
The Federal Government has taken the issue to the Supreme Court, seeking an order to compel all 36 state governors to grant full autonomy to local governments. The suit, marked SC/CV/343/2024, was filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on behalf of the Federal Government. The government is asking the apex court to prohibit state governors from unilaterally dissolving democratically elected local government leaders.
Reacting to the suit, Governor Sanwo-Olu argued that the Attorney General should have identified the specific governors at fault rather than suing all 36 governors. He stated, “It is interesting to read the news that the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation has sued all the 36 states because governors did not give autonomy to the third tier of government. The only mistake, which I am going to tell our Attorney General, is that some of us are in compliance.”
Sanwo-Olu further noted, “The Attorney General should have done his due diligence to identify which states are not in compliance so that we don’t sue all the 36 states together. You can determine which states are not violating the constitution. If it is three, four, or five states, then you can sue the remaining states for violating the autonomy of the Local Governments.”
He added that infringing on local council autonomy contradicts the constitution’s spirit and that the judiciary must provide a clear interpretation to ensure equity and fairness. Sanwo-Olu stressed that judicial reform is crucial for improving the justice system and protecting the interests of all parties.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kayode Ariwoola, represented by Justice Iyabode Yerima, also praised the Lagos judicial system for its leadership in justice development, noting that other jurisdictions often follow Lagos’ example.
Additionally, the AGF, represented by Fernandez Marcos-Obiene, acknowledged Lagos’ robust and transparent reforms in the justice system, which have promoted economic growth. He assured that the Federal Government would continue to support reforms that enhance public trust in the judiciary.
Other notable speakers at the event included the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), and Chief Justice of Lagos, Justice Kazeem Alogba.
Governors,Justice.
Attorney General’s error in Local Government suit