Tinubu Not to Blame for Delayed LG Autonomy—Senator Karimi Declares

Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West, has declared that neither President Bola Tinubu nor the National Assembly should be held accountable for the slow or stalling implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s local governments.

Speaking with journalists in Lokoja on Sunday, Karimi insisted that the delay in enforcing the July 11, 2024 Supreme Court judgment should not be laid at the feet of the Presidency or lawmakers. Instead, he praised President Tinubu for championing the legal effort that secured the autonomy ruling, calling it a bold move to liberate grassroots governance from decades of strangulation.

“President Tinubu’s vision for local government autonomy is a deliberate step to dismantle the shackles of underdevelopment,” Karimi said, emphasizing that the drive for local freedom and functionality must not be politicized or misrepresented.

He urged Nigerians to continue supporting the President’s agenda, especially his push to empower the third tier of government. According to Karimi, the judiciary has already spoken with finality, referencing Section 235 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which makes Supreme Court decisions binding and beyond appeal—except in cases involving presidential or gubernatorial prerogative of mercy.

“The Constitution is clear. The Supreme Court is the final court of the land, and its decision on local government autonomy cannot be appealed or ignored. The judgment is law,” Karimi stressed.

Responding to questions about why the Senate has yet to back the Supreme Court’s ruling with specific legislation, Karimi described the judgment as the President’s “trump card” to decisively address the longstanding dysfunction in Nigeria’s local government system.

He explained that the lawsuit was not just symbolic—it was the clearest signal yet that the Federal Government, through the Attorney General, was serious about establishing genuine governance at the grassroots. “If the Federal Government wasn’t committed, it would never have taken the matter to court,” he said.

Karimi further reassured Nigerians that members of the National Assembly are not only aware of the importance of local government autonomy but are actively supporting the effort to restore it.

“This is not just the President’s battle—it is a fight for all Nigerians,” he declared. “We in the National Assembly—myself, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas—are fully aligned with this cause.”

He admitted that some forces remain opposed to granting local governments full independence, but warned that silence in the face of such resistance could derail the victory already secured in court.

“Autonomy must come to stay,” Karimi said emphatically. “And if we want it to stand, we must all speak up. The time for silence is over.”