The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Oluwole Oke, has urged state governments across the country to fully comply with Supreme Court rulings on Local Government autonomy, insisting that the judgments are binding and not subject to legislative or executive discretion.
In a statement issued in Abuja and titled “Local Government Autonomy and the Rule of Law: Why States Must Comply, Not Confront,” Oke said Nigeria’s constitutional democracy is anchored on the supremacy of the Constitution and the finality of judicial interpretation.
He stressed that once the Supreme Court has delivered a judgment, all arms and levels of government are constitutionally bound to obey it.
Oke noted that recent pronouncements by the apex court on the administration and financial autonomy of Local Governments have reignited nationwide debates, but maintained that personal, political or regional opinions cannot override constitutional obligations.
“Under Section 235 of the 1999 Constitution, the Supreme Court is the final court of the land. Its decisions are not advisory or optional. They represent the authoritative meaning of the Constitution itself,” he said.
The lawmaker warned that no State House of Assembly, including that of Osun State, has the constitutional authority to enact laws that override, dilute or circumvent Supreme Court judgments on Local Government autonomy.
According to him, any such legislative action is unconstitutional, null and void, and amounts to a direct affront to the rule of law.
“This is not about politics. It is about constitutional order,” he added.
Oke explained that while legislatures are empowered to make laws, they cannot revisit disputes already conclusively interpreted by the Supreme Court through statutory maneuvers. According to him, even the National Assembly cannot reverse a Supreme Court judgment by ordinary legislation.
He said the only lawful avenue for altering such outcomes, where necessary, is through constitutional amendment carried out transparently and applied prospectively.
The lawmaker, however, emphasized that compliance with the court’s rulings does not render state governments powerless. He said states still have wide latitude to enact laws that strengthen Local Government democracy without undermining autonomy.
He listed areas states could lawfully legislate on to include guaranteeing regular and credible Local Government elections, promoting transparency and independent audits, enhancing administrative coordination without financial control, and supporting capacity building and service delivery at the grassroots.
“What states cannot do is reintroduce control through renamed joint accounts, caretaker committees or executive gatekeeping disguised as oversight,” he cautioned.
Oke called for cooperation rather than confrontation between states and Local Governments, advocating inter-governmental collaboration through memoranda of understanding, joint planning frameworks and technical support mechanisms that respect the independence of elected councils.
He also urged stakeholders to pursue constitutional advocacy through national dialogue where ambiguities exist, particularly on fiscal federalism and revenue allocation, rather than unilateral state actions.
“Until such amendments are lawfully enacted, the Supreme Court’s interpretation remains binding,” he said.
Oke concluded that Local Government autonomy was designed to deepen democracy and bring governance closer to the people, adding that obedience to the rule of law strengthens democratic institutions.
“Compliance is not weakness. It is fidelity to constitutional governance and commitment to Nigeria’s democratic future,” he said.