Atiku Abubakar accuses President Tinubu of political blackmail over refusal by governors, including Dapo Abiodun, to pay local government allocations directly despite a Supreme Court ruling
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of using constitutional compliance as political leverage, alleging that the Federal Government is deliberately refusing to enforce direct allocation of funds to local governments in order to protect and control governors, including Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun.
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In a strongly worded statement addressed to the President, Atiku said the Tinubu administration would have spent two full years by July 2026 ignoring a binding judgment of the Supreme Court directing the implementation of direct Federation Account Allocation Committee disbursements to local councils.
According to him, the continued failure to act is not administrative delay but calculated political blackmail aimed at forcing opposition governors into the All Progressives Congress while keeping governors within the ruling party firmly under presidential control.
“This is not delay. It is defiance,” Atiku said, accusing the administration of reducing constitutional governance to partisan bargaining and convenience.
The former vice president stressed that Supreme Court judgments are final and not optional, warning that persistent refusal to enforce them constitutes a direct breach of the Constitution and a violation of the oath of office sworn by the President.
Atiku argued that the consequences of the inaction are being felt most severely at the grassroots, describing local governments as the tier closest to the people.
He said withholding their financial autonomy has stalled development across communities, leaving roads dilapidated, health centres abandoned and local government workers unpaid.
He described the situation as ironic, noting that the Tinubu administration has repeatedly projected local government autonomy as a core policy priority while allegedly enabling governors to retain control of council funds.
“This policy does not weaken governors. It cripples communities, deepens poverty and punishes ordinary Nigerians by choice, not by accident,” he said.
Rejecting calls for executive orders or political drama, Atiku said the matter requires a simple constitutional response.
He urged President Tinubu to instruct the Attorney General of the Federation to immediately enforce the Supreme Court judgment.
He further accused the administration of placing political dominance above constitutional duty and economic justice, warning that continued inaction sends a damaging signal at a time Nigerians are already struggling under harsh economic conditions.
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“Nigeria deserves leadership that obeys the law it swore to protect, not one that bends it for political gain,” Atiku said, adding that history and Nigerians would not forget the episode.
