Local Government Autonomy: Dotun Sanusi Urges Makinde, Alli, Adekanmbi to Respect Supreme Court Judgment

Chief Jubril Dotun Sanusi, a humanitarian, entrepreneur and grassroots development advocate, has urged Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli and Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi to prioritise constitutional compliance and accountability in the ongoing debate over local government autonomy.

Sanusi, who holds the titles of Okanlomo Oodua and Gbonka Olubadan of Ibadanland, said local government autonomy should not be used as a political weapon, but treated as a constitutional responsibility aimed at improving governance at the grassroots.

He made the call in a statement dated October 24, 2026, while reacting to the public disagreement between Adekanmbi and Alli over their respective positions on local government autonomy.

Sanusi said the controversy should provide an opportunity for political leaders to address the longstanding challenges facing local government administration, rather than turn the issue into a contest between political parties and individuals.

He cited the Supreme Court judgment delivered on July 11, 2024, which addressed the financial independence of local government councils and directed that allocations be paid directly to democratically elected councils.

According to him, the judgment established binding obligations that political leaders and relevant institutions must respect, stressing that further legislative reforms should not be used to delay compliance with existing constitutional duties.

He said local government autonomy was neither the property of the APC, APM, nor any political movement, but a constitutional and developmental issue affecting communities across the country.

Sanusi noted that the consequences of ineffective grassroots administration were felt by ordinary residents, including rural dwellers who lacked access to functional primary healthcare centres, farmers struggling with deteriorating access roads and pupils attending schools without adequate facilities.

He also identified elderly pensioners waiting for their legitimate entitlements as among those who could suffer when public funds were poorly managed or local councils were unable to perform their responsibilities.

“The purpose of local government autonomy is not to empower another class of political officeholders. It is to bring accountable governance closer to the people,” he said.

The Okanlomo Oodua appealed to Alli, Adekanmbi, Makinde, the Oyo State House of Assembly and relevant federal authorities to approach the matter with seriousness, respect for the law and a commitment to public accountability.

He also called on civil society organisations, professional associations, traditional institutions and the media to insist on evidence-based discussions, urging political actors to present verifiable facts and allow the law to guide public conclusions.

Sanusi maintained that local governments should function as centres of development rather than instruments of political rivalry, adding that elected council officials must be accountable to the people they serve.

He further urged governors to respect constitutional limits, legislators to discharge their responsibilities diligently and federal institutions to ensure that binding judicial decisions were implemented.

Sanusi said the ultimate measure of leadership should be whether public institutions were strengthened, public resources protected and the lives of ordinary citizens improved, rather than which political actor prevailed in the disagreement.

He called for a political culture in Oyo State in which constitutional responsibilities were respected regardless of who occupied public office.