Mashood Mustapha Hails Supreme Court Judgment, Says Governors Turn To Advocacy Following Years Of Election Failures

Ilorin, Kwara State– The former House of Representatives member at the federal level and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, Hon. Mashood Mustapha, has commended the Supreme Court’s judgment on local government autonomy.

Mustapha, while commending the ruling, said the actions of some governors who have suddenly become advocates for local government autonomy after failing to conduct local government elections for several years.

In a statement, personally signed by the former lawmaker, released on Saturday, through his media aide, Dr Opeyemi Glory, said that some state governors only decided to conduct local government (LG) elections upon learning that the Federal Government intended to pursue LG autonomy in the Supreme Court.

The statement read, “The Supreme Court ruling on Local Government autonomy is a landmark victory for Democracy. I want to sincerely appreciate the Federal Government for anchoring this important initiative.

“The Local Government as the third tier of government has a huge role to play in the development of a state but it’s rather unfortunate that some Governors have rendered it redundant. They have held the LGs by the jugular for far too long. Therefore, the ruling of the Supreme Court is a breath of fresh air.

“I must state clearly that Nigerians are highly intelligent, so they can’t be hoodwinked by the antics of some Governors who have suddenly become advocates for Local Government autonomy after failing to conduct Local Government elections for several years.

Mustapha said some state Governors only decided to conduct LG elections when they got wind of the fact that the Federal Government was heading to the Supreme Court on the basis of LG autonomy.

According to him, “Now that the coast is clear for a fully functional Local Government system in Nigeria, I urge both the serving and incoming LG administrators to make judicious use of the allocations accrued to their various LGs.

“I also want to implore the citizens to get fully involved in the LG elections and ensure that only the right candidates are elected to pilot the affairs of the Local Governments,” he said.