President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has restated his administration’s commitment to ensuring that the Supreme Court’s judgment affirming the financial independence of local governments is implemented.
President Tinubu made the commitment on Friday night at the 15th National Executive Committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress, held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
According to the President, failure by the governors to work in consonance with the Supreme Court’s judgment may force him to take other executive decisions.
“The Supreme Court has said, ‘give them their money directly.’ If you wait for my Executive Order, because I have the knife, I have the yam, I will cut it.
“I’m just being very respectful and understanding with my governors. Otherwise, if you don’t start to implement it, FAAC after FAAC, you will see your allocation dwindling”.
President Tinubu harped on the need for cohesion within the ruling party. He reminded party leaders that the APC was built on the ideals of progressive politics, broad-based participation, and respect for diversity of opinion.
“We must continue to be resolute that this democracy that we take in our hands must not fail. We say we are bigger. We are larger and taller. But it should now be in our hearts to be accommodating. That’s the only way we can be resilient, we must be tolerant,” he said.
President Tinubu expressed confidence that with unity of purpose, tolerance, and adherence to progressive values, the APC would continue to lead Nigeria towards stability, prosperity, and inclusive development.
President Tinubu said that State Police is the way to go. He called on the National Assembly to summon the Inspector General of Police to examine ways to “institute controls and prevent abuses,” as it was a necessary step in the fight against terrorism and banditry.
President Tinubu expressed his support for the ongoing campaign to increase the number of women occupying elective positions in the country.
He also advised the National Assembly to desist from centralising lottery business, saying that lotto or lottery lies within the jurisdiction of State Governments.
In his remarks, Vice President Kashim Shettima commended the doggedness, zeal, uncommon courage and political sagacity of the President, noting that any political coalition to test President Tinubu’s popularity in the 2027 elections will amount to political suicide.
“Politics rewards memory, and today, memory must begin with gratitude before we speak of maps and margins; we must acknowledge the singular role of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in building the very culture of opposition that brought us here. Long before power came calling, he stood when it was unfashionable to stand, and he organised when it was dangerous to organise.
” He funded democracy when silence was safer. Nigeria’s opposition did not survive by accident. It survived because one man refused to surrender the political space. The APC is fortunate that Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not in opposition today. But as we look towards 2027, one truth stands above all others,” Shettima said.
The APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, told the gathering that the party had set up machinery to commence the e-registration of its members in wards, states and local governments nationwide.
“I therefore call on our leaders at all levels, state governors, members of the National Assembly, former governors, local government chairmen, and other critical stakeholders, to support this exercise with the necessary logistics and materials to ensure its successful implementation across the country.”
Yilwatda also announced the extension of the tenure of the current Executive Committees at the Ward, Local Government, State, and Zonal levels till March 2026.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governor Hope Uzodimma, Chairman of the APC Progressive Governors Forum, commended the President for taking bold, strategic economic reforms to enhance Nigeria’s economic prosperity.
