LG chairman sues Niger govt over alleged tenure reduction

The Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger State, Alhaji Aminu Yakubu-Ladan, has sued the state government over the alleged reduction of the tenure of local government chairmen and councillors.

Yakubu-Ladan, in a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, is seeking an order restraining the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission, NSIEC, and its co-defendants from conducting the scheduled local government elections until the expiration of the current tenure.

NSIEC had fixed November 1 for the conduct of the local government poll across the state

However, the plaintiff, in the suit, named the Attorney-General of Niger State, the House of Assembly, NSIEC, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Inspector-General of Police as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

The chairman is challenging the constitutionality of the Niger State Local Government Law, 2001, which reduces the tenure of local government chairmen and councillors from four years to three years.

Yakubu-Ladan, in the originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1370/2025, dated July 10 but filed on July 11 by his counsel, Chris Udeoyibo, raised eight questions for determination.

The chairman questioned whether the state government could enforce the Local Government Law, 2001 (as amended), which he argued clashes with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2022.

“Should Niger State Local Government Law Section 29 (2) be declared unconstitutional for clashing with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022,” he said.

The plaintiff is seeking a declaration that a four-year tenure for local government chairmen and councillors is constitutionally guaranteed by virtue of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022.

The suit also challenges NSIEC’s preparation for the local government elections slated for 1 November and seeks an order restraining the defendants from conducting the elections until the completion of the four-year tenure for chairmen and councillors.

It also seeks to restrain INEC and the Inspector-General of Police from providing logistical support and security for the election.

Yakubu-Ladan argued that the state’s Local Government Law, 2001, is inconsistent with Section 7 of the Constitution and Sections 018 and 150 of the Electoral Act, 2022.