Some Former governors, Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), and Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) have attributed the poor state of local government councils in Nigeria to the 1999 Constitution. They noted that while Section 7 recognizes local governments as a tier of government, the Constitution also grants State Houses of Assembly the power to legislate on their operations.

They made the comments at the National Dialogue on Local Government Reforms and Constitutional Amendment organized by the House Committee on Constitutional Review, held in Abuja. The ex-governors voiced strong support for financial and operational autonomy for local councils but emphasized the importance of ensuring accountability and transparency in their management.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas says inadequate funding remains one of the most significant obstacles in developing Local Government Areas in Nigeria. He said that Local governments often operate on budgets that are insufficient to meet their responsibilities.

The speaker who was represented by the deputy speaker who is also the chairman House Committee on constitutional review also noted that one of the most pressing issues the National Assembly has to deal with, is the poor quality of elections into local government councils across our states.