Chief Jubril Dotun Sanusi, the Okanlomo Oodua and Gbonka Olubadan of Ibadanland, has called on political leaders to approach the debate over local government autonomy with constitutional responsibility, accountability and respect for the rule of law.
Sanusi made the call in a public statement issued on Saturday, following the recent public disagreement between the Oyo State governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, and the Oyo APC Guber Candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli over local government autonomy.
He said the disagreement deserved a response founded on constitutional principles, political maturity and genuine concern for the people of Oyo State.
Sanusi noted that he had followed with considerable interest the challenge reportedly issued by Adekanmbi, asking Alli to explain his legislative contributions towards achieving local government autonomy.
The humanitarian and grassroots development advocate said the controversy presented an opportunity to address a fundamental question that had troubled Nigeria’s democracy for decades: why should the government closest to the people remain financially and administratively constrained when the Constitution recognises the importance of democratically elected local government councils?
He stressed that local government autonomy was not the property of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the APM or any political movement, describing it as a constitutional and developmental issue affecting millions of Nigerians.
The Supreme Court Has Spoken — Our Leaders Must Respect Its Authority
Sanusi recalled that on July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered a landmark judgment concerning the financial independence of local government councils.
According to him, the court ruled against the retention and expenditure of local government allocations by state governments and directed that funds should be paid directly to democratically elected local councils.
He added that the judgment also reaffirmed the constitutional requirement for democratically elected local government administration.
Sanusi argued that the judgment established obligations that could not simply be postponed until another constitutional amendment was enacted.
While acknowledging that additional legislative reforms could strengthen the local government system, he maintained that existing constitutional duties and binding judicial decisions must be respected.
“A Supreme Court judgment is not a campaign promise. It is a binding pronouncement of the highest court of our land,” he said.
The statement further noted that the July 2024 judgment arose from legal action initiated by the, but the sentence in the statement provided ended at that point without identifying the party that initiated the action.
Local Government Autonomy Is About Human Lives
Sanusi said ordinary citizens, whose daily struggles rarely attract national headlines, remained at the centre of the debate over local government autonomy.
He cited the example of rural mothers who had to travel long distances because their communities lacked functioning primary healthcare centres.
He also highlighted the challenges faced by farmers whose produce could not reach markets because local access roads had deteriorated, as well as children attending schools that required basic facilities.
The statement further drew attention to elderly pensioners waiting for their legitimate entitlements.
“These are the people for whom grassroots government exists,” Sanusi said.
He warned that when local councils were denied effective resources or public funds were poorly managed, ordinary families bore the consequences.
According to him, the purpose of local government autonomy was not to empower another class of political officeholders but to bring accountable governance closer to the people.
My Appeal to All Political Leaders
Sanusi appealed to Senator Sharafadeen Alli, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, Governor Seyi Makinde, the Oyo State House of Assembly and all relevant federal authorities to approach the matter with seriousness and respect.
He acknowledged that political disagreements were legitimate in a democracy but stressed that such disagreements should produce better policies, stronger institutions and greater public accountability.
He also called on civil society organisations, professional associations, traditional institutions and the media to insist on evidence-based debate.
“Let every political actor present verifiable facts.
“Let the law guide our conclusions.
“Let the welfare of the people remain our highest consideration,” he said.
Conclusion: History Will Remember What We Did for the Grassroots
Sanusi maintained that the people of Oyo State deserved a political culture in which constitutional obligations were respected, regardless of who occupied public office.
He said local governments should serve as centres of development rather than instruments of political rivalry, while elected council officials should remain accountable to the people they served.
He also called on governors to respect constitutional limits, legislators to perform their responsibilities diligently and federal institutions to ensure that binding judicial decisions were implemented.
“Local government autonomy must never become a weapon for political convenience. It must become a living reality for the people of Nigeria,” he said.
Sanusi added that history would not merely remember who won the argument between Adekanmbi and Alli but would also assess whether political leaders strengthened democratic institutions, protected public resources and improved the lives of ordinary citizens.
He said that should be the standard by which every administration and public officeholder was judged.
The Okanlomo Oodua concluded with a prayer for Almighty God to grant Nigeria’s leaders wisdom, humility and courage to do what was right, while expressing hope that justice, accountability and genuine grassroots development would prevail throughout Oyo State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He also prayed for God’s blessings upon Ibadanland, Oyo State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
