President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday told the 36 governors to hand over local government allocation to the councils in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment.
Vanguard reports that the President said there would not be an autonomy to councils without funded mandate.
Speaking at the 14th APC National Caucus meeting at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, the President said he had assured the United States and the European Union that Nigeria will establish state Police to tackle insecurity challenges.
He also advised governors and party leaders to be flexible in their actions and ensure that they get involved in what happens in their various places including the rural communities.
He said: “You must yield and continue to promote, tolerate and be flexible, get involved in whatever is happening in your various states, up to local government level.
“I had a very long discussion with the US and European heads. I was bragging to tell that definitely we will pass a state police to improve security. They asked me if I’m confident, and I say, yes, I have a party to depend on. I have a party that will make it happen.
“And if at this level we fail, God forbid, we will not fail. I think the reconciliation, the accommodation, the flexibility, is in your hand, all of you, and we are the majority. We are the leaders.
“Let us equally look at the recent Supreme Court judgment. What can we do with it? And how well we can position our country and our party.
“To me, the local government autonomy, it is and must be effective. There is no autonomy without without funded mandate, we will give them their money directly. That’s the truth. That’s compliance of the Supreme Court. Take leadership seriously.”
The President commiserated with the government of Bayelsa State on the death of the deputy governor and prayed that his soul rest in peace.
He also called for the inclusion of more women in the caucus and asked that provision should be made towards that.
Speaking earlier, national chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, hailed what he described as a surge in the party’s national acceptance, citing recent high-profile defections, an electronic membership registration drive and plans for a new national secretariat in Abuja.
He said it was his first of such gathering since emerging Chairman in July.
Yilwatda thanked President Tinubu for support and urged stakeholders to rally behind the party’s expansion agenda ahead of planned congresses and the next national convention slated for March 2026.
He told caucus members that the APC leadership was consolidating structures nationwide through a membership drive, while also crediting the President’s leadership with strengthening party cohesion and public confidence.
He listed a number of governors and political actors he said had recently joined the party, while also claiming that the APC now enjoys an “overwhelming majority” in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Yilwatda said, “Recent political development underscored APC’s pan-Nigerian character, including significant defections that have further expanded our influence, particularly several high profile individuals and groups who have defected to our party, especially from the opposition parties.
Yilwatda also announced what he described as an internal organisational milestone: the activation of an electronic membership registration system, which he said would improve transparency, data integrity and internal democracy.
The APC National Caucus is a high-level strategic meeting of the party’s top leadership.
It typically brings together the President, Vice President, national chairman, members of the National Working Committee, APC governors and other key stakeholders to align on political and organisational issues ahead of broader deliberations at the NEC.
Notably, the six governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who recently defected to the APC were present at the caucus meeting, including Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Enugu Governor Peter Mbah, Delta Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri, Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno and Taraba Governor Agbu Kefas.
Both the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas spoke on the importance of working together and giving every member equal opportunity.
Akpabio noted that govenors are leaders of the party in the states and should be accorded the respect.