Councillors challenge Anambra government over council officials' tenure

Fifty-six councillors in Anambra State have taken legal action against the state government. They have filed a suit in a state high court in Awka. They are questioning the legality of the two-year tenure for local government council officials.

The case is marked A/261/2026. The defendants include the Attorney General of the state, the Anambra State House of Assembly, and the State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC).

The councillors want the court to rule that the local government system under Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, promises a stable and reasonable tenure for better grassroots governance.

They argue that this provision does not allow state officials to unfairly cut short the tenure of elected local government officials.

The councillors also want the court to declare that Section 110(A) of the Anambra State Electoral (Amendment No. 3) Law, 2024 is unconstitutional and void.

They believe this section limits the tenure of elected local government chairmen, vice chairmen, and ward councillors to two years, which goes against Section 7(1) of the constitution.

The councillors are asking the court to remove Section 110(A) from Anambra State laws. They claim it conflicts with the 1999 Constitution as amended.

They also want the court to declare that all elected local government officials should have a uniform tenure of four years. This is the same length as the tenure for elected officials at the federal and state levels.

Additionally, they are requesting a permanent order to stop the defendants from dissolving or interfering with their tenure after two years.

They want the court to prevent ANSIEC from holding any election to replace them until their full four-year term is completed.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that this suit comes just one month before the local government election scheduled for 29 August.

Earlier, the Anambra House of Assembly passed the Anambra State Electoral (Amendment No. 3) Law, 2024. This law set the tenure for elected local government chairmen, deputy chairmen, and councillors at two years.