Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of deliberately refusing to implement a binding Supreme Court judgment on direct federal allocations to local governments, alleging that the decision is being used as a political tool to consolidate power.
In a strongly worded statement signed by him, Atiku said that by July next year, the Tinubu administration would have spent two full years “deliberately ignoring” the Supreme Court ruling that ordered the Federal Government to implement direct disbursement of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds to local governments.
“This is not delay. It is defiance,” Atiku declared, accusing the President of turning obedience to the law into a bargaining chip aimed at coercing opposition governors into the All Progressives Congress (APC) and tightening control over governors within the ruling party.
According to Atiku, the continued failure to enforce the judgment amounts to a direct breach of the Constitution and a violation of the oath of office sworn by the President.
“Supreme Court judgments are final, not optional. Persistently refusing to enforce one is a direct breach of the Constitution,” he said.
The former vice president stressed that local governments remain the closest tier of government to the people and warned that withholding their financial autonomy was inflicting severe damage on grassroots development.
“By withholding their financial autonomy, you are not weakening governors; you are crippling communities, stalling development, and deepening poverty at the grassroots,” Atiku stated.
He listed deteriorating roads, abandoned health centres and unpaid salaries as consequences of what he described as a deliberate policy choice rather than administrative oversight.
Atiku also dismissed suggestions that the issue required executive threats or political manoeuvring, insisting that the solution was straightforward.
“The solution is simple: instruct the Attorney-General of the Federation to enforce the judgment immediately. Anything short of this is a failure of leadership,” he said.
He further warned that the President’s continued inaction sends a dangerous signal that political dominance takes precedence over constitutional duty and economic justice.
“Your continued inaction sends a clear message: that political control matters more than constitutional duty, that party dominance matters more than economic justice, and that regime survival outweighs the daily suffering of Nigerians,” Atiku added.
Concluding his statement, the former vice president said Nigerians were watching closely and that history would judge the administration’s handling of the matter.
“Nigeria deserves leadership that obeys the law it swore to protect, not one that bends it for political gain. History will not forget this moment. Nigerians will not either,” he said.
