Radda wonders what the legal implications are of the Supreme Court ruling on LG autonomy

• Radda reaffirmed the state’s commitment to upholding the Constitution and operating within Nigeria’s legal framework.
• The state government has vowed to tackle insecurity in local governments on the frontline.

Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda has sought legal advice from the state Attorney General on the implications of the Supreme Court ruling regarding local government autonomy.

The governor’s spokesman, Ibrahim Mohammed, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, stressing that local governments in Katsina State already enjoy considerable autonomy.

Governor Radda stressed the State’s commitment to upholding the Constitution and operating within the legal framework of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He said: “I have not called on you all today to interpret the judgment. Katsina State is a law-abiding state and will operate under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I have asked the Attorney General of the state to give me a full report on the legal implications of the Supreme Court decision.”

“As you are aware, I was once the Chairman of Charanchi Local Government during the administration of our beloved President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. I was involved in the day to day running of my local government and I am fully aware of the challenges and pains that most of you are facing.

He acknowledged the potential challenges ahead but expressed optimism about the state’s preparedness: “We are facing several socio-economic challenges coupled with uncertainty in our frontline local governments. When I assumed office in 2023, more than 20 local governments were plagued by uncertainty. Our collective efforts have reduced uncertainty to the fringes of the frontline local governments.”

Radda stressed his administration’s progressive approach to local governance, noting that the state plans to hold elections for new local government chairmen once the terms of office of the incumbent chairmen expire.

“We have already conducted party primaries in accordance with best electoral practices, and some current chairmen will return through a democratic process. In this dispensation, we are most likely the only state to move from one democratically elected local government council to another,” he said.