LG Chairman Challenges Power Of Niger Governor To Reduce Tenure Of Council Officials

By Ayodele Oni

A Local Government Chairman in Niger State has dragged the State Governor to Court for reducing tenure of Local Council officials.

Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area, Alhaji Aminu Yakubu-Ladan, approached  the Court over the alleged reduction of the tenure of elected Local Government Chairmen and Councillors.

The State Electoral body had fixed November 1, 2025, for the conduct of Local Government polls across the State.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1370/2025, filed by his counsel, Chris Udeoyibo, the plaintiff listed the Attorney-General of Niger State, the State House of Assembly, NSIEC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Inspector-General of Police as first to fifth defendants.

Yakubu-Ladan is challenging the constitutionality of Section 29(2) of the Niger State Local Government Law, 2001 (as amended), which reduces the tenure of local government chairmen and councillors from four years to three years.

He argued that the said law contradicts the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022, both of which guarantee a four-year tenure for elected local government officials.

The plaintiff posed eight legal questions before the court, including whether the state government has the power to enact a law that conflicts with federal legislation and the Constitution.

He is also seeking a declaration that the conduct of fresh elections before the end of the constitutionally guaranteed four-year term is illegal, and urged the court to restrain the NSIEC from proceeding with the November 1 elections.

Additionally, the suit is asking the court to bar INEC and the Inspector-General of Police from providing support or security for the planned elections until the current tenure elapses.

Yakubu-Ladan insisted that the state’s action is a breach of Section 7 of the Constitution and Sections 018 and 150 of the Electoral Act, 2022. The case is yet to be assigned to a judge.