The Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area in Niger State, Alhaji Aminu Yakubu-Ladan, has dragged the state government to court over the alleged reduction of the tenure of elected local government chairmen and councillors.
Yakubu-Ladan filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order to stop the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) and other parties from conducting the scheduled local government elections until the current tenure runs its full course.
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, on July 11, 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.
