Niger LG Chairman Drags State Government to Court Over Tenure Reduction, Wants November 1 Elections Halted

Alhaji Aminu Yakubu-Ladan, the Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area (LGA) in Niger State, has instituted legal proceedings against the Niger State Government over an alleged unconstitutional attempt to reduce the tenure of democratically elected local government officials.

The council chairman has taken the matter to the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, challenging the legitimacy of the Niger State Local Government Law, 2001, which recently amended the tenure of local government chairmen and councillors from four years to three years.

In the suit, Yakubu-Ladan is asking the court to rule that this amendment is invalid, arguing that it violates the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act of 2022. His claim centers on Section 29 (2) of the amended Local Government Law, which he believes contradicts superior national legislation.

According to the court documents, the suit was officially filed on July 11, 2025, by his counsel, Chris Udeoyibo, under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1370/2025. The chairman is asking the court to interpret eight key constitutional issues that revolve around the legality and applicability of the state’s amended local government law.

The lawsuit lists several key institutions as defendants, including:

• The Attorney-General of Niger State
• The Niger State House of Assembly
• The Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC)
• The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
• The Inspector-General of Police (IGP)

As part of the reliefs sought, Yakubu-Ladan is requesting a court injunction to suspend all preparations for the November 1, 2025, local government elections throughout the state. He is demanding that the elections should not proceed until the full four-year tenure of currently elected chairmen and councillors is completed, as originally stipulated before the controversial amendment.

He further urges the court to issue an order barring both INEC and the IGP from providing any form of logistical or security support for the planned elections, claiming such action would undermine the constitutional rights of elected officials.

Despite these concerns, the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) has already fixed the local government elections for November 1, a decision that has raised tensions and attracted criticism from various political stakeholders.

As at the time of reporting, the case has not yet been assigned to a specific judge.