A Kano State High Court has ruled that the federal government cannot interfere with the funds allocated to the 44 local government areas in the state.
Justice Musa Ibrahim Karaye delivered the judgment on Monday following a lawsuit filed by local government representatives seeking to protect their financial autonomy.
The case emerged after the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) requested a court order to stop the disbursement of local government funds. The APC argued that there were irregularities in the local government elections conducted by the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission in October 2024.
The lawsuit, led by Hon. Abdullahi Abbas, Hon. Aminu Aliyu Tiga, and the APC, was filed against several federal and state institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), and all 44 local government councils in Kano.
However, the court ruled in favor of the local governments, affirming their right to access their funds and preventing the federal government or its agencies from withholding their allocations.
Speaking after the ruling, Barrister Bashir Wuzirchi, the lawyer representing the 44 local governments, described the verdict as a victory for Kano State.
“We took this case to court to protect Kano State from those trying to hinder development by targeting local government funds. Thankfully, the court ruled in our favor and directed the federal government not to interfere with these constitutionally allocated funds,” he said.
In response to the judgment, APC spokesperson in Kano, Ahmad Aruwan, stated in an interview with Newsmen that the party would appeal the decision.
“Our duty is to ensure that public funds do not end up with illegitimate leaders. We will appeal and continue to fight this case until justice is served,” he said.
