Kogi court dismisses challenge to local-government tenure laws

A High Court in Koton-Karfe has dismissed a challenge to Kogi State’s local-government tenure laws, holding that the claimant did not show a conflict with the Electoral Act or Constitution.

Justice Aminu Eri delivered the decision on Friday in a suit brought by a former Ibaji councillor who challenged his removal from office after two years.

Channels Television reported that the claimant sought an interpretation of the state’s 2023 local-government law and amendments made in 2025, arguing that the two-year and three-year terms conflicted with section 7 of the Constitution.

The claimant asked for a four-year term, relying on Electoral Act 2026 provisions governing Federal Capital Territory area councils.

The defendants were the Kogi State Government, State Independent Electoral Commission and House of Assembly. Their lawyers argued that the Constitution allowed the state legislature to determine tenure and related local-government election arrangements.

Eri held that the Constitution did not expressly set the tenure of local-government chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors, according to the report. He rejected the claimant’s reliance on provisions for FCT officials and dismissed the case for lack of merit.

Lawyers for the state assembly welcomed the judgment. The claimant’s legal team said it would study the decision.

Source: Channels TV