A High Court in Plateau State has ruled that Local Government Chairmen in the state will now serve a four-year tenure.
The court found that the two-year term prescribed under the Plateau State Local Government Law and the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) Law is inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
The judgement was delivered by the Chief Judge of Plateau State, Justice David Gwong Mann, following a suit filed by the Chairman of Wase Local Government Area, Hamisu Anani, who sought a judicial interpretation of the Constitution and relevant state laws governing the tenure of elected local government officials.
Anani approached the court via an originating summons against the Attorney General of Plateau State, asking it to determine whether the two-year tenure under state law aligns with constitutional provisions guaranteeing a democratically elected local government system.
Commenting on the outcome, Plateau State Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General, Philemon Dafi, said the court granted the claimant’s prayers after carefully examining the constitutional questions raised.
“What transpired was that the Chairman of Wase Local Government, Hon. Hamisu Anani, sued the Attorney General of Plateau State through an originating summons seeking interpretation of the Constitution, the Plateau State Local Government Law and the PLASIEC Law.
“He raised four questions, which centred on the tenure of local government chairmen in Plateau State, particularly that of Wase Local Government. The court heard his prayers and granted them, declaring and ordering that, from today, the tenure of all local government chairmen in Plateau State is four years within the framework of constitutional democracy in Nigeria,” Dafi said.
The court held that the two-year tenure undermined the constitutional framework for democratic governance at the grassroots level and could not stand against the provisions of the Constitution.
Reacting to the judgement, counsel to the claimant, Madueke Okafor, described it as a sound interpretation of the Constitution and a victory for democratic governance at the local level.
“We are pleased with the judgement. It represents an excellent interpretation of the Constitution, and we believe that, with this ruling, the tenure of local government chairmen and councillors in Plateau State is now officially four years,” Okafor said.
He added that the decision places greater responsibility on elected officials to justify the extended tenure through service to their constituents.
“The onus is now on them to use this period in the service of the people,” he said.
