Local Government Elections: Issues of Autonomy, Service Values and Politics

The high-wire politics around local government elections in Nigeria since the reaffirmation of local government financial autonomy by the Supreme Court on July 11, 2024, points to fundamental questions about the value of local government first, as a legitimate service-providing entity and second as a vital base or structure for mobilising support and winning power. As a service-providing entity, the verdict of the Supreme Court revives the rationale for the 1976 local government reforms, which aimed to enhance popular participation and bring the government and its services closer to the people.

Winning the local government elections for each state governor is more or less a fait accompli because all institutions, including the electoral umpire of the state, are effectively under their control. Thus, council elections merely formalise the interests of the state governors regarding who is elected in local governments. Ultimately, the Supreme Court verdict on local government autonomy is a case of too little too late. In this edition of the Nextier SPD Policy Weekly, we analyse the local government elections and their outcomes and implications for federalism and control of local governance.

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