The Supreme Court has deferred judgment in the case where the Federal Government is challenging the 36 state governors over the autonomy of the 774 local governments across Nigeria. Justice Garba Lawal informed the parties involved that they would receive communication once the judgment was prepared.

This decision came after a 7-member panel of the apex court concluded the adoption of documents submitted by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, representing the Federal Government, and those of the 36 state governors.

During Thursday's session, the AGF urged the court to grant all reliefs sought by the federal government in the lawsuit. In contrast, the governors, represented by their respective state Attorneys General and Commissioners for Justice, opposed the Federal Government's plea and requested dismissal of the suit.

Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), initiated the legal action on behalf of the Federal Government, aiming primarily for the full autonomy of local governments as an integral tier of governance in Nigeria. The AGF has petitioned the apex court for an injunction preventing state governors from unilaterally and unlawfully dissolving democratically elected local government leaders, among other measures.