President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has warned state governors that he may issue an Executive Order to enforce direct release of federal allocations to local government councils nationwide.
The president issued the warning on Friday during the 15th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Tinubu expressed displeasure that several governors were yet to comply with the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments.
Addressing governors, members of the APC National Working Committee and other stakeholders, the president insisted that the judgment must be implemented.
“If you wait for my Executive Order… because I have the knife, I have the yam, I will cut it,” Tinubu said, warning that continued disobedience would attract decisive action.
He added that his administration had so far exercised restraint, noting that failure to comply would have consequences at successive meetings of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
Tinubu also described his emergence as president as divinely ordained, reflecting on the challenges faced during the election period.
He recalled that the campaign coincided with severe economic hardship, including food shortages, cash scarcity due to the naira redesign policy and fuel shortages that led to long queues at filling stations.
According to him, many Nigerians suffered greatly, with some unable to afford a single meal a day.
“I faced obstacles on my path to the presidency, but God brought us here. Without Him, I wouldn’t be here,” the president said.