A High Court in Plateau State has ruled that elected Local Government Chairmen in the state are entitled to a four-year tenure, declaring the existing two-year tenure under state laws unconstitutional.
In its judgment delivered on Friday, the court held that the two-year tenure provided under the Plateau State Local
Government Law and the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission Law are inconsistent with Section 7(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees democratically elected local government councils.
The court ruled that limiting council officials to two years undermines democratic governance at the grassroots.
The Court declared the provisions prescribing a two-year tenure null and void, affirming that elected council chairmen and councillors in the state are entitled to a four-year term.
The judge further held that the two-year tenure contained in the laws of the Plateau State Government and the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission could not stand because it undermines the constitutional framework for local government administration.
“I therefore grant a four-year tenure to elected local government chairmen in the state, aligning their tenure with the broader constitutional expectations for democratic governance at the grassroots level”, the judge ruled.
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The judgment is expected to significantly impact LGAs and future council elections in the state.
The judgment came less than two days after the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PSIEC) approved adjustments to the timetable for the conduct of the 2026 local government elections in the state.
The commission extended the period for political parties to conduct their primaries.
According to the commission’s Secretary, Pam Davou, political campaigns will end at midnight on September 7, 2026, ahead of the local government elections scheduled to hold across the 17 local government areas of the state on September 9, 2026.
Voting is expected to take place between 8am and 3pm.
