A Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos has ruled that elected Local Government Chairmen in the state are entitled to a four year tenure as prescribed by the 1999 Constitution.
The court held that the two year tenure prescribed by the Plateau State Government and the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) laws is inconsistent with Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
The court was delivering judgment in a suit filed by
the Plateau State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and Chairman of Wase LGA, Anani Mohammed, challenging Section 23(1) of the PLASIEC Law and Section 38 of the Plateau State Local Government Law, which prescribe a two year tenure for elected council chairmen.
Mohammed argued that the provisions conflict with Sections 112 and 153 of the Electoral Act as well as Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which collectively guarantee a constitutionally recognised local government system.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, the Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice David Mann, held that the two year tenure contradicts constitutional provisions guaranteeing a democratically elected local government system.
The court consequently directed that the two year tenure provided under the state and PLASIEC laws be set aside, noting that the shorter tenure undermines the constitutional framework for local government administration.
The court therefore restored a four year tenure for elected local government chairmen in the state, aligning with constitutional expectations for democratic governance at the grassroots level.
The judgment comes ahead of the local government elections in the state scheduled for September 2026 by PLASIEC.
Court orders four year tenure for Plateau council chairmen, declares two year term unconstitutional
