The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the federal government was trying to create further bureaucracy using a Supreme Court ruling that granted autonomy to local government councils across the country.
The main opposition party also claimed that it had not heard anything on the matter and described the move as a recipe for trouble.
The Supreme Court ruled last month that governors of the 36 states could no longer control funds earmarked for the country’s 774 local government areas (LGAs).
The ruling also confirmed that local governments must manage their own resources if they are democratically elected by the people.
Reacting to the ruling, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said: “It is our duty to seek our own solutions that will ensure transparency and ensure that our people do not suffer. (referring to the ruling) Because when two elephants fight, the grass suffers.”
But at a press conference at party headquarters on Sunday, he said:
Responding to a question on the Oyo State governor’s stance on the Supreme Court ruling, PDP National Spokesperson Debo Ologunagba said: “We believe that local government reforms, when needed, should be done in consultation with governors and not on the orders of the federal government.”
“But of course I believe that this will not be the end of the matter, because the responsibility for local government lies with the governors.
“The federal government does not see the people in my village; it is the governors…
“If there is a problem in local government, they don’t turn to the federal government, they turn to the state government.”
