The Supreme Court has reserved its judgement on the suit the Federal Government filed to secure full autonomy for the 774 Local Government Areas, LGAs, in the country.
A seven-man panel of the court, led by Justice Garba Lawal, on Thursday, admitted the matter for judgement, after governors of the 36 States of the Federation, through their respective Attorney-Generals, adopted their briefs of argument.
The states, in separate preliminary objections, sought the dismissal of the suit with substantial cost, contending that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, lacked the locus standi to do so.
The defendants further alleged that the AGF breached their right to fair hearing, when he failed to serve them with a copy of a further affidavit he filed in support of the suit.
The federal government argued that Nigeria, as a federation, was a creation of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, with the President, as Head of the Federal Executive Arm, swearing on oath to uphold and give effects to provisions of the Constitution.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, on Thursday, rejected applications that Speakers of Houses of Assembly of some of the states filed to be joined as interested parties in the matter.
After it had listened to all the parties, the Justice Lawal-led panel said it would communicate the judgement date to them.
