Falana applauds Lagos law ending LG tenure manipulation

July 01, 2025

By Ayinde Adeleke

The enactment of the Lagos State Local Government Administration Law, 2025, has been hailed as a significant step towards strengthening democratic principles at the grassroots level.

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has praised the new law, saying it aligns with constitutional provisions and the Supreme Court’s ruling on term limits.

The 2025 law introduces a clear provision on how the tenure of elected or successor chairmen is calculated, treating any period of succession or by-election as a full term.

This move is expected to prevent tenure elongation and manipulation, which was possible under the repealed 2015 law.

The new law ensures that no local government chairman can spend more than two terms in office, thereby upholding the democratic principle of term limits.

Falana, in a legal appraisal of the law, stated that the 2025 law is a progressive and constitutionally sound intervention that corrects several ambiguities in the repealed 2015 law.

He noted that the new law reinforces democratic safeguards against perpetual rule, saying, “The 2025 Law corrects this by explicitly stating that the completion of an unexpired term through election counts as a full term, in line with constitutional expectations and the Supreme Court’s reasoning in Marwa v. Nyako.”

Falana emphasized that the new law ensures that the democratic principle of term limits is respected at the local government level, just as it is at the state and federal levels.

He said, “This ensures that the democratic principle of term limits is respected at the local government level, just as it is at the state and federal levels.”

The law’s provisions, particularly sections 27(5) and 28(4), put an end to deliberate legal gaps that previously allowed some officeholders to serve beyond constitutional limits. Falana noted that the previous law’s silence on the matter left room for manipulation by vice chairmen or placeholders who could serve out a term and still contest twice more.

He stated, “The silence of the previous law again left room for manipulation by vice chairmen or placeholders who could serve out a term and still contest twice more.”

The new Lagos State Local Government Administration Law, 2025, is a significant step towards consolidating democracy at the grassroots level.

With its clear provisions on tenure calculation and term limits, the law is expected to prevent tenure elongation and manipulation, promoting democratic principles and good governance.