The decision to reserve judgment came after a seven-member panel of the court heard the adoption of processes filed by both the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, representing the Federal Government, and the attorneys general of the 36 states representing the governors.

During Thursday’s proceedings, the AGF urged the Supreme Court to grant all the reliefs sought by the Federal Government in the suit. In contrast, the governors, through their respective state attorneys-general and commissioners for justice, opposed the request and asked the court to dismiss the suit.

The legal action, initiated by Fagbemi on behalf of the Federal Government, aims to secure full autonomy for local governments as the third tier of government in the country. The suit, marked SC/CV/343/2024, requests the apex court to restrain state governors from unilaterally and unlawfully dissolving democratically elected local government chairmen.

The Chief Counsel of the Federation, in the original summons, also seeks an order directing that funds appropriated for local governments be channelled directly to them from the Federation Account, by the Constitution. This move aims to counteract the alleged illegal joint accounts created by the governors.

Additionally, the AGF has requested an order preventing governors from forming inner committees to manage local government affairs, which goes against the constitutionally recognized democratic system. Furthermore, the Federal Government seeks an order prohibiting governors and their agents from handling funds released from the Federation Account for local governments when no democratically elected local government system is in place.

The suit is based on 27 grounds, emphasizing that the Federation of Nigeria, as established by the 1999 Constitution, mandates the President to uphold and implement its provisions. The state governors have been sued through their respective state attorneys-general.