By Jane Salihu
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening local government administration, declaring that the implementation of financial autonomy for councils is gathering momentum in states under its control, while positioning its 685 elected local government chairmen as key drivers of grassroots governance and political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The position emerged on Wednesday during a meeting between the APC National Working Committee and members of the Progressives Local Government Chairmen Forum (PLGCF) at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
Chairman of the PLGCF and Executive Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger State, Dr. Mustapha Jibril Alheri, said the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments was gradually being translated into reality in many APC-controlled states.
According to him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has remained committed to strengthening the third tier of government, a move he said is already improving governance at the grassroots.
“Regarding the issue of local government autonomy, the President has been pursuing this for a very long time, and most of the states under the Progressive Local Government leadership are enjoying full autonomy,” Alheri said.
While acknowledging that implementation differs across states, he expressed confidence that complete autonomy for local governments would eventually be achieved nationwide.
“This is a transition process. The APC, through the leadership of the President, has taken it upon itself to ensure that we get complete autonomy. We are transitioning slowly but surely towards full autonomy,” he added.
The renewed emphasis on local government autonomy follows the landmark judgment delivered by the Supreme Court on July 11, 2024, directing that allocations from the Federation Account be paid directly to Nigeria’s 774 democratically elected local government councils, thereby ending the practice of state governments controlling council funds.
Alheri described the reform as a major step towards improving service delivery, infrastructure development and accountability at the grassroots, noting that financially independent councils would be better positioned to respond to the needs of their communities.
He also disclosed that the forum, which comprises 685 APC local government chairmen across the country, has intensified mobilisation efforts in support of the ruling party and the Tinubu administration.
“We have 685 local government chairmen under the leadership of our great party. We have also been able to attract many more people into the APC,” he said.
Alheri expressed optimism that the chairmen would play a decisive role in the 2027 general elections because of their direct engagement with communities, revealing that the forum is targeting over 70 per cent of the votes nationwide through sustained grassroots mobilisation.
Receiving the delegation, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, described local government chairmen as the foundation of the party’s grassroots political structure and pledged closer collaboration with them.
“I would like to work in partnership with you. Together, we will build a strong alliance that will deliver victory for our party in 2027,” Yilwatda said.
He assured the council chairmen of the party’s unwavering support for every lawful initiative aimed at strengthening the APC and improving its electoral fortunes.
“Anything that will make our party succeed, provided it is legal, we will do it. The party will stand by you and work with you side by side to ensure that you succeed,” he stated.
The APC National Chairman, however, reminded the council chairmen that political success must be matched with improved governance at the grassroots.
He urged them to serve as ambassadors of the Tinubu administration by ensuring that government policies and development programmes directly impact the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
Yilwatda further challenged them to take greater responsibility in addressing multidimensional poverty, stressing that local governments remain the closest tier of government to the people.
“If there is multidimensional poverty under this administration, you also have a responsibility because you are the closest government to the people,” he said.
Also speaking, the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Progressives Local Government Chairmen Forum, Rawlings Dagidi, said reforms initiated by the Tinubu administration had strengthened the capacity of local governments to deliver infrastructure and expand the APC’s grassroots support base.
The meeting underscored the ruling party’s strategy of combining governance reforms with grassroots political engagement, as the APC seeks to leverage local government autonomy and its network of elected council chairmen to deepen development at the community level while consolidating support ahead of the 2027 general elections.
