State - Local Government Relations in Nigeria: An Assessment of the Fourth Republic Experience

The mutual working relationship between and amongst the federal, state and local councils in Nigeria, just like those of advanced democracies, is germane to this study. The paper is an empirical theoretical exposition of the chequered relationship that has existed between the three tiers of government in Nigeria since political independence in 1960 to date. The position of this paper is that the place of local councils as enshrined in the 1999 constitution (as amended) is practically honoured in the breach than in strict observance. Hence, local councils in Nigeria have been highly politicized by the powers that be, and the true position of the constitution on the status of the councils is greatly in doubt. Of particular importance in this paper is the dynamics of federal, state and local council relations in the erstwhile Obasanjo administration and the kind of contradictions the administration posed in the corporate affairs of state. The paper concludes that greater autonomy, consensus building, adequate constitutional obligations should be granted to local councils to enhance overall best practices as well as grassroot transformation and sustainable development.