A political analyst and civil society advocate, Kenneth Eze, has raised concerns over the state of local government administration in Enugu State, alleging that financial control by the state government has weakened grassroots governance and influenced political decisions surrounding return tickets for council chairmen ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Eze said the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) local government primaries conducted on May 23, 2026, exposed deep concerns about the criteria used in selecting candidates for a second term.
According to him, while some incumbent local government chairmen secured return tickets, others were denied the opportunity to recontest, despite what he described as limited autonomy enjoyed by council administrations across the state.
Eze argued that the issue goes beyond party politics and reflects a longstanding pattern of state control over local government finances dating back to the return of democracy in 1999.
He traced the trend through successive administrations in Enugu State, alleging that local government chairmen have historically operated under strict financial supervision from the state government, with limited authority to independently execute projects or manage allocations.
The analyst referenced the July 11, 2024 Supreme Court judgment which declared the State-Local Government Joint Account unconstitutional and ordered direct allocation to democratically elected local governments. He, however, claimed that implementation of the ruling in Enugu State remains ineffective.
According to him, reports suggesting that local government councils surrendered revenue powers to the state government through a “Power of Attorney” arrangement have further fueled concerns over fiscal centralization.
Eze maintained that the lack of financial independence has hindered meaningful grassroots development and weakened democratic accountability at the local government level.
He questioned whether political loyalty, rather than measurable performance, now determines who receives return tickets during council primaries.
“The critical question is whether local government chairmen are being assessed based on developmental achievements or their level of compliance with the state government,” he stated.
The public affairs analyst warned that continued interference in local government administration could undermine the constitutional role of councils as the third tier of government and create what he described as a “docile political class” dependent on state executives.
He called on residents of Enugu State to demand full implementation of local government autonomy and urged authorities to comply with the Supreme Court ruling on direct allocation to councils.
Eze added that true grassroots development would only be possible when local governments are allowed to manage their resources independently and remain accountable directly to the people.
He stressed that future local government elections should focus on candidates’ developmental records rather than political allegiance.