When in July 2024, the Supreme Court of Nigeria ruled in favour of local government financial autonomy, not a few people were ecstatic about the development.

 The reason was not farfetched. For many years, local governments in different states had been at the mercy of state governments, struggling with financial constraints and often having to rely on state allocations that undermined their operational independence. This led to many local councils unable to perform their constitutional duties effectively.

However, with the apex court judgment, local governments were now financially empowered to run their affairs for the benefit of grassroot development. In a move to adhere to the judicial mandate, many states began to conduct local government elections in order to escape the looming consequences of non-compliance, including the potential withholding of federal allocations as outlined by the Supreme Court's directive.

As we approached the October deadline given by the Supreme Court for the completion of these polls and in anticipation of federal government's sledge hammer on defaulting states, news emerged from the Anambra State Assembly that a bill to create a "State Joint Local Government Account" had been passed. This bill mandates local government areas to remit a percentage of their federal allocations into a consolidated account controlled by the state. Many observers have viewed this piece of legislation as contrary to the Supreme Court's ruling. 

Is the bill by the Anambra State Assembly still in tandem with the SC judgment or even the constitution, or is it a departure from both? Will this move curtail local government autonomy or provide a façade of compliance while undermining the Supreme Court's ruling? Will the Federal Government live up to its commitment to deny defaulting states funds? What are the plans of other states regarding local government autonomy? What is the future of local government financial autonomy in Nigeria?