Court Extends Tenure Of LG Chairmen In Plateau To 3 years

JOS, July 05, (THEWILL) - There was jubilation in Jos this morning as a court extended the tenure of local government chairmen in the state to 3 years.

The state House of Assembly had amended the local government laws in the state, which reduced the tenure of local government chairmen from three to two years.

But a High Court in Jos ruling on a case brought by the chairman of Langtang North local government, Brian Dadi, declared that the law restricting the tenure of local government chairmen to two years is null and void.

Local government chairmen in Plateau had been enjoying a three-year tenure but this was adjusted to two years by the state House of Assembly under the administration of Chief Michael Botmang, who served as governor when Chief Joshua Dariye was "impeached."

Dadi who was declared winner of the November 2008 elections by the court again went to court to seek interpretation regarding his tenure.

Justice Hussaini Othman had while delivering judgment ruled that Dadi is under the local government laws of the state entitled to a three year tenure and not two as the law which reduced the tenure of local government chairmen in the state was signed by a governor whose tenure was declared null and void by the Supreme court setting aside all he had appended his signature to.

The ruling has been welcomed in most quarters in the state as it would give the LG chairmen more time to settle in but has shocked the state government which was preparing to hold local government elections in January 2011.

An aide to the governor told THEWILL on condition of anonymity that the state government would challenge the ruling by filing an appeal.