A support group of former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, under the aegis of The Nigeria Youths For Atiku (NYFA), has flayed the Supreme Court ruling granting local government autonomy, describing it as a smokescreen to distract Nigerians from the real issues of hunger, terrorism and starvation currently ravaging the country.
The support group expressed this concern in a signed statement by its Director of Publicity, Mr Dare Dada, a copy of which was made available to newsmen, and further described the ruling as a mere distraction and decoy by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) – led government to now seek for people’s mandate in 2027.
Dada, in the statement, while noting that the judgement on LG autonomy had been greeted with mixed reactions, said Nigerians would still reject APC at the poll in 2027.
He described the move by the APC-led administration’s move to approach the court on the LG autonomy as politically motivated, positing that everything about the ruling party was politics and toying with the people’s emotions as against good governance which ought to be the core of their actions.
This was just as he quickly recalled that advocacy for LG autonomy was not new in the country, citing that the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) was created to advocate for a longer tenure of four years for elected local government chairpersons in 1999 instead of three years.
According to him, it was on record that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the then Senate President Pius Anyim, tried to amend the constitution to accommodate a 4-year tenure, saying that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was then governor, “and other governors kicked against it and instead opted for state-guided elections and appointment of administrators for LGAs.”
Dada expressed surprise at the president’s sudden love for LG autonomy, describing such as suspicious, even as he queried the faith of the 37 LCDAs he created in Lagos without constitutional backing, while serving as governor of the state, “now that the highest court in the land had given judgement granting autonomy to the local government areas.”
Speaking further, NYFA spokesperson, said Nigerians needed the Federal Government to create an environment where they would not only live but thrive, adding that they need an environment that guarantees them affordable housing, three square meals and one in which they will no longer continue to convert their hunger to fasting and become religious fanatics unleashing their anger on other innocent citizens.”
Dada said it was of no use celebrating LGA autonomy when people in power would still appoint or elect their friends and family members who cannot be accountable to the people, pointing out that what Nigerians deserved not only a responsible government that is accountable but also “a country we all can be proud to live.”
Meanwhile, Dada has expressed the group’s support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 General Election, saying that the former No. 2 person in the country and a Presidential Candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 poll “has the requisite experience to run the affairs of our country effectively.”
Dada, while throwing the group’s support, maintained that Atiku had experience in governance and understood both the economic and political demography of Nigeria quite well, cautioning and a trial and error presidency cannot take Nigeria anywhere except a competent and experienced person.
“A trial and error presidency cannot take Nigeria anywhere except a competent and experienced person.
“Thus, we will entrust him with the affairs of our dear country in 2027 and fully back his race in running.
“We implore the APC-led government to use their remaining 3-year tenure to focus on the real issues of hunger and starvation ravaging this country as the time for political moves has passed.
“Issues bordering inflation, devaluation of naira, fixing of the country’s refineries and curbing banditry should be of utmost concern so that Nigerians can genuinely applaud them and perhaps change the impression they have had of the party as incompetent,” he stated.
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