- APC Governors Endorse Tinubu, Back LG Autonomy, State Police
- Tinubu warned the National Assembly against making laws outside its constitutional powers
- Says the establishment of state police was inevitable
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum, chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, on Friday passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the motion was raised at the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the Conference Centre of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and was seconded by Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani.
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The endorsement came as President Tinubu issued a strong warning to state governors over the implementation of local government financial autonomy, declaring that funds accruing to local councils would be deducted directly from source and paid to them if states failed to comply with the Supreme Court judgment.
The President said the Federal Government would not hesitate to act through the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) if the ruling continued to be ignored.
“Like I said yesterday, you conduct the local government elections. You supervise them, you are the vigilantes, the INEC, everything of the local governments you elected,” Tinubu said.
“Nobody helped you, the governors. Since you elected them, you are responsible for them. But the Supreme Court has now curbed it, saying give them their money directly.”
He added: “If you wait for my Executive Order, because I have the knife, I have the yam, I will cut it before. We know the percentage. I have told the RMAFC. I am only being respectful and understanding. Otherwise, FAAC after FAAC, you will see.”
“The ultimate ‘no’ is our Supreme Court. We must comply and respect the judgment,” the President stressed.
Tinubu also declared that the establishment of state police was inevitable, insisting that Nigeria must win the war against terrorism and banditry.
“We are going to state police,” he told the governors. “Please summon the IG and start looking at the ramifications and how to institute controls to prevent abuses.”
“I will do the forest rangers. We will have them. We will defeat terrorists and bandits.”
On party administration, the President urged APC leaders to be tolerant, inclusive, and accommodating, warning against undermining the party’s e-registration exercise.
“Allow it. No elbow. Don’t shut the door against the people you are in charge of,” Tinubu said, adding that failure by party leaders would prompt federal intervention.
“If you fail, we will take it away and do it on your behalf. That would be leadership failure,” he warned.
The President also urged party members not to discount the God factor in leadership, describing his emergence ahead of the 2023 elections as divine.
“God got us here. I am a symbol of that God, because without Him, I won’t be here,” Tinubu said.
He further warned the National Assembly against making laws outside its constitutional powers, vowing not to assent to such bills.
Specifically, Tinubu cautioned lawmakers against passing any legislation on lottery or lotto, stressing that he would not sign such a law under any circumstance.
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