Alhaji Aminu Yakubu-Ladan, Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area in Niger State, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the state government’s alleged attempt to reduce the constitutionally guaranteed tenure of local government chairmen and councillors.

 

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1370/2025, was filed on July 11 by Yakubu-Ladan’s counsel, Chris Udeoyibo, and seeks to restrain the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) and other parties from conducting local government elections scheduled for November 1, pending the completion of the current tenure.

 

Yakubu-Ladan listed five defendants: the Attorney-General of Niger State, Niger State House of Assembly, NSIEC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Inspector-General of Police.

 

At the heart of the suit is a challenge to the constitutionality of the Niger State Local Government Law, 2001 (as amended), which attempts to reduce LG tenures from four years to three years. The chairman contends that this law contradicts 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 and the Electoral Act, 2022?” Yakubu-Ladan queried in the suit.

 

 

 

The plaintiff seeks:

 

A declaration that LG chairmen and councillors are entitled to a constitutionally protected four-year tenure;

 

An order restraining NSIEC from holding elections on November 1 until the lawful tenure ends;

 

An order barring INEC and the Inspector-General of Police from offering logistical or security support for the elections.

 

 

Yakubu-Ladan argued that the Niger State Local Government Law violates Section 7 of the Constitution and Sections 018 and 150 of the Electoral Act, rendering it null and void.

 

The case has not yet been assigned to a judge as of the time of this report.