An Ibadan businessman and philanthropist Dotun Sanusi has called on political leaders in Oyo State to approach the debate over local government autonomy with constitutional responsibility accountability and respect for the rule of law.
He made the call in a public statement issued on Saturday following a recent public disagreement over local government autonomy between the Oyo State governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) Bimbo Adekanmbi and his APC counterpart Senator Sharafadeen Alli.
Sanusi the Gbonka Olubadan of Ibadanland said the disagreement deserved a response grounded in constitutional principles political maturity and genuine concern for the people of Oyo State.
He said he had followed with considerable interest the challenge Adekanmbi reportedly issued asking Alli to explain his legislative contributions toward achieving local government autonomy.
The humanitarian and grassroots development advocate said the controversy presented an opportunity to address a fundamental question that has 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 is not the property of the APC the APM or any political movement; it is a constitutional and developmental issue affecting millions of Nigerians.
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 that state governments could not retain or spend local government allocations and directed that funds 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.
He said ‘A Supreme Court judgment is not a campaign promise. It is a binding pronouncement of the highest court of our land.’
The statement further noted that the July 2024 judgment arose from legal action initiated by the but the sentence ended at that point without identifying the party that initiated the action.
Sanusi said ordinary citizens whose daily struggles rarely attract national headlines remained at the centre of the debate over local government autonomy.
He cited rural mothers who have to travel long distances because their communities lack functioning primary healthcare centres.
He also highlighted the challenges faced by farmers whose produce cannot reach markets because local access roads have deteriorated as well as children attending schools that lack basic facilities.
The statement further drew attention to elderly pensioners waiting for their legitimate entitlements adding ‘These are the people for whom grassroots government exists.’
He warned that when local councils lack effective resources or mismanage public funds ordinary families bear the consequences.
According to him local government autonomy was not meant to empower another class of political officeholders but to bring accountable governance closer to the people.
He however appealed to Alli 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 are legitimate in a democracy but stressed that they 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.
Sanusi maintained that the people of Oyo State deserve a political culture that respects constitutional obligations regardless of who occupies 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 serve.
He also called on governors to respect constitutional limits legislators to perform their responsibilities diligently and federal institutions to implement binding judicial decisions.
‘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 will not merely remember who won the argument between Adekanmbi and Alli but will also assess whether political leaders strengthened democratic institutions protected public resources and improved ordinary citizens’ lives.
He said that should be the standard by which every administration and public officeholder is judged.