IBY
Peterside Rejoice Eneky
A group of demonstrators staged a peaceful protest in Abuja on Monday, marching from the National Assembly Complex to the Supreme Court to express their concerns over the ongoing judiciary crisis in Benue State.
The protesters, consisting of civil society organizations, human rights groups, and concerned citizens, carried banners condemning what they described as the political hijacking of the Benue Local Government Election Tribunal.
Addressing journalists, the convener of the protest, Igwe Ude-Umanta, urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to intervene immediately and take action against corrupt judges in the judiciary.
“Our democracy is under threat, and the Chief Justice must act swiftly to save it,” Ude-Umanta stated. He also called on President Bola Tinubu to take urgent steps to ensure justice is upheld in the Benue judiciary crisis.
The controversy began after the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpembese, ordered the tribunal to be relocated from Makurdi to the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) House in Abuja due to security concerns. However, a Federal High Court in Makurdi later issued a restraining order, directing that the tribunal must hold its sessions in Benue State.
Following this, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) approached the FCT High Court in Abuja, requesting that the tribunal’s relocation order be upheld. On Friday, the court granted the request, instructing the tribunal to continue its sittings in Abuja while restraining it from holding sessions in Benue.
The protest highlights growing concerns over judicial independence and political interference in the electoral tribunal process.
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