President Bola Tinubu has warned state governors that he will issue an executive order to directly channel local government allocations to them if they continue to defy a Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy.
The President issued the ultimatum on Friday, December 19, 2025, during the 15th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.
Addressing the gathering of top party officials, including governors and members of the National Working Committee (NWC), President Tinubu stated that non-compliance with the court judgment could force his administration to ensure direct disbursement of Local Government funds from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
“The Supreme Court has capped it for you again, saying, ‘give them their money directly,’” the President said. “If you wait for my executive order, because I have the knife, I have the yam, I will cut it.”
He emphasised that he had so far exercised restraint but warned that continued violations would not be tolerated. “I’m just being very respectful and understanding with my governors. Otherwise, if you don’t start to implement it, fact after fact, you will see,” he added.
The President’s warning follows the landmark July 11, 2024, judgment of the apex court, which affirmed the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local government councils. In a unanimous ruling, a seven-member panel declared it unconstitutional for state governments to retain or control funds meant for LG councils.
The court ordered that allocations from the federation account be paid directly to LGs, as stipulated in sections 162(5) to 162(8) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). President Tinubu reiterated that compliance with this judgement is not optional. “The ultimate goal is our Supreme Court. We have to comply. We have to respect the judgement,” he stated.
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