A major constitutional ruling has reshaped local government administration in Plateau State after the Plateau State High Court struck down the two-year tenure previously assigned to local government chairmen.

The landmark decision, delivered on Friday in Jos, established that elected local government chairmen must serve a four-year tenure. The ruling effectively nullifies provisions in state legislation that had limited their time in office to two years.

Chief Judge Justice David Mann issued the judgment, declaring that the tenure rule contained in the Plateau State Local Government Law and the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission Law contradicts the constitutional guarantee of a democratically elected local government system.

According to the court, any state law that weakens or contradicts constitutional provisions cannot remain valid. As a result, the two-year tenure clause was struck out and replaced with the constitutionally consistent four-year term.

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The court emphasized that Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) ensures the existence of democratically elected local government councils across Nigeria. Justice Mann ruled that the shorter tenure prescribed by Plateau State laws undermines the stability and democratic structure envisioned by the constitution.

In his judgment, the judge explained that local government leadership requires continuity and institutional stability. A two-year tenure, he said, does not provide adequate time for elected officials to plan, implement policies, and deliver meaningful development projects to communities.

Justice Mann therefore declared that the relevant provisions in both the Plateau State Local Government Law and the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission Law are invalid to the extent that they conflict with constitutional standards.

The case was initiated by Anani Hamisu Mohammed, who is also the Plateau State chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria. Mohammed challenged the legality of Section 23(1) of the PLASIEC Law and Section 38 of the Plateau State Local Government Law.

In his suit, Mohammed argued that the provisions prescribing a two-year tenure were inconsistent with several legal frameworks governing democratic governance. These included the Electoral Act and constitutional provisions that safeguard the structure and autonomy of local governments.

He maintained that limiting local government chairmen to two years in office disrupts democratic governance and weakens administrative continuity at the grassroots level.

The court agreed with his arguments, stating that the constitutional framework supports a stable system where elected local government officials have sufficient time to serve and carry out their mandates effectively.

Legal analysts say the ruling could influence debates on local government administration across Nigeria, where tenure arrangements sometimes vary by state legislation.

The decision also arrives months before the local government elections scheduled for September 2026 by the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission.

With the court’s ruling now in place, candidates who emerge victorious in the forthcoming elections will serve four-year terms instead of the previously mandated two years. Observers believe this change may encourage stronger governance planning and provide elected officials with the time needed to execute development initiatives.

The judgment is widely seen as a reaffirmation of constitutional supremacy and a move aimed at strengthening democratic governance at Nigeria’s grassroots level.