By Sunday Apah
A High Court in Plateau State has ruled that elected Local Government Chairmen in the state are entitled to a four-year term in office.
The court determined that the two-year tenure stipulated by the Plateau State Local Government Law and the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) Law conflicts with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
The judgment was delivered by the Chief Judge of Plateau State, Justice David Gwong Mann, in response to a suit filed by the Chairman of Wase Local Government Area, Hamisu Anani.
The suit sought judicial clarification on the constitutional and statutory provisions regulating the tenure of elected local government officials.
Anani had initiated the case through an originating summons against the Attorney General of Plateau State, requesting the court to decide whether the two-year term under state law conforms to constitutional guarantees for a democratically elected local government system.
Commenting on the ruling, the Plateau State Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General, Philemon Dafi, stated that the court upheld the claimant’s requests after thorough consideration of the constitutional issues presented.
“The Chairman of Wase Local Government, Hon. Hamisu Anani, filed an originating summons against the Attorney General, seeking interpretation of the Constitution, the Plateau State Local Government Law, and the PLASIEC Law,” Dafi explained.
“He posed four key questions regarding the tenure of local government chairmen in Plateau State, particularly for Wase Local Government.
“The court, after hearing his arguments, granted the reliefs and declared that, effective immediately, the tenure for all local government chairmen in the state shall be four years, consistent with Nigeria’s constitutional democratic framework.”
The court concluded that the two-year tenure weakened the constitutional structure for democratic governance at the local level and could not supersede the provisions of the Constitution.
In response to the judgment, the claimant’s counsel, Madueke Okafor, praised it as a robust constitutional interpretation and a triumph for grassroots democracy.
“We are satisfied with this outcome. It reflects a sound interpretation of the Constitution, and we are confident that, following this ruling, the tenure for local government chairmen and councillors in Plateau State is now firmly established as four years,” Okafor stated.
He further noted that the decision imposes greater accountability on elected officials to demonstrate their worth through dedicated service to their communities during the extended term.
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“The responsibility now rests on them to utilize this period effectively in serving the people,” he added.
