56 Anambra Councillors Sue State Government Over Two Year Tenure Limit

Fifty six serving councillors in Anambra State have approached the State High Court in Awka to challenge the constitutional validity of the state’s decision to limit the tenure of elected Local Government officials to two years.

The councillors, in Suit No. A/261/2026, joined the Anambra State Attorney General, the State House of Assembly, and the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission as defendants.

They are challenging Section 110(A) of the Anambra State Electoral (Amendment No. 3) Law, 2024, arguing that the provision is inconsistent with Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees a democratically elected local government system.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare the two year tenure provision unconstitutional, null, and void, insisting that elected local government officials are entitled to a secure and uniform four year tenure.

They are also seeking an injunction restraining the defendants from dissolving or terminating the tenure of the current elected councils after two years, as well as preventing the conduct of any election aimed at replacing them before the expiration of a full four year tenure.

The suit was filed about a month before the local government elections scheduled for August 29, 2026. The two year tenure provision was introduced in September 2024 after the Anambra State House of Assembly amended the State Electoral Law.