(Naked Truth Series: CCVII)
While lots of concentrations are being placed on the presidency, the major hurdles to the thriving democracy in Nigeria are the state Governors – Azowue, O. E. (2025)
One of the biggest challenges that have led to bad governance in Nigeria are state Governors – Azowue, O. E. (2025)
Local government autonomy can never be achieved in Nigeria until state Governors are kept out of the control of this level of governance – Azowue, O. E. (2025)
One of the highest challenges to the Nigerian nascent democracy are state governors, and unfortunately, most of us in the country have given more attention to what happens at the centre – presidency, and less attention to the autocratic despotic and tyrant activities of state governors in the country, most of who operate as emperors and despots. It is now clear to us that with the present mentality of most state governors in Nigeria, the country still has a long way to go in its quest to achieve true democracy in line with what is being practiced in most developed counties in the world that have adopted democratic rule as its system of government.
It is disheartening to know that a state governor in Nigeria will come out in the public to say that granting full autonomy to local government areas will not be ideal to the development of the country. This is a man who is supposed to be well read, and has the title of a professor, who is supposed to know better. This entity initiated a bill through the rubber stamp members of the state Assembly in his state, to curtail the autonomy granted to local government administers in his state. What an unfortunate situation!
While Nigerians are still trying to understand the basis behind the unfortunate position being held by the aforementioned professor and Governor in the South-East, another of his counterpart from the same region who had organized a shenanigan exercise in the name of local government election in line with directive of the supreme court of Nigeria, backed by the constitution position held by the federal government.
This said governor, having done with the charade said to be local government election, went ahead to compel local government chairmen and their counselors in the state to sign their resignation letters under duress, aimed at suppressing the autonomy being granted to local government areas in his state. He also made the local government chairmen to sign a dubious document where they are expected to remit 80% of the local government allocation to an account being controlled and managed by a proxy of this state governor. This is very unfortunate and disheartening.
I must commend President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for the first time for pushing for local government autonomy in line with the dictates of the Nigerian constitution. Unfortunately, the most of the emperors in the states, hypocritically claiming to be champions of democracy are doing everything within their powers to undermine local government autonomy for own their selfish goals and objectives. Nigerians are beginning to understand that one of the major problems they are facing in recent time are state governors who will do everything within their powers to truncate the autonomy of local government areas in their respective states. This is so disheartening and unfortunate!
Nigerians must collectively rise up against state governors who have chosen the path of infamy in their bid to undermine and truncate local government autonomy. This only shows the kind of persons administering the affairs of governance in each of these states. These same entities will readily fight against the federal government where it chooses to undermine the autonomy of their states. This clear act of hypocrisy should no longer be tolerated and accommodated in Nigeria polity as it will not only put a question mark in our practice of democratic governance, but will also suggest that Nigeria democracy is more of theory than practice.
Until then, there was indeed a country!
Azowue O. Emmanuel
(Pen of the gods)