Human rights advocates have called on Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to suspend planned local government elections and prioritize implementing the Supreme Court’s July 2024 ruling on local council autonomy, a demand voiced during a press conference on July 11, 2025, in Minna.
The advocates, led by the Niger State Civil Liberties Organization, argue that holding elections without ensuring financial and administrative independence for the state’s 25 local government areas undermines the court’s directive to end state government control over council funds. They cite the ongoing retention of over N150 billion in joint accounts as evidence of non-compliance.
The group, supported by 15 NGOs, warns that rushed polls could perpetuate political interference, a concern heightened by the 2023 elections where the ruling party swept all seats. They propose a six-month moratorium to establish independent local governance structures, aligning with the N3.408 trillion allocated to councils nationwide since the ruling.
Governor Bago’s administration has not responded, but state officials previously defended the joint account system as a coordination mechanism. Critics question the advocates’ motives, suggesting political agendas, though the call resonates with national debates on decentralization, with human rights groups urging federal oversight to enforce autonomy.