President Tinubu Tells Nigerians to Shift Pressure to Local Government Chairmen

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged Nigerians to shift their focus toward the administration of Local Government Areas (LGAs), insisting that the third tier of government is now receiving its financial allocations directly.

In a statement directed at the citizenry on Monday, the President emphasized that with the current financial reforms in place, the responsibility for grassroots development and the monitoring of funds now rests with the people.

President Tinubu’s remarks come amid ongoing conversations regarding the autonomy of the 774 local government councils in the country. He noted that the Federal Government has played its part by ensuring funds reach the local level, and it is now up to Nigerians to ensure those funds are used for the public good.

“Local governments are now getting their money. How they use it is in your hands. Don’t bombard me alone. Also hold them accountable too,” the President stated.

The President’s message appears to be a strategic move to decentralize public pressure, which has traditionally been directed toward the Presidency and State Governors. By highlighting the direct disbursement of funds, he is pointing out that the local council chairmen no longer have the excuse of “withheld funds” to justify a lack of performance.

Since the landmark Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments, the Tinubu administration has pushed for a system where local councils operate independently of state-controlled joint accounts.

Political analysts suggest that the President’s call to “hold them accountable” is an invitation for Nigerians to become more active in local politics, monitor project executions in their immediate environments, and demand transparency from their councilors and chairmen.

The statement has already sparked reactions across social media, with many Nigerians questioning if the mechanisms for tracking these local funds are accessible enough for the average citizen to effectively “hold them accountable.”