By A coalition of civil society organizations staged a protest in Abuja on Monday against the relocation of the Benue State Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal to the Federal Capital Territory. The demonstrators called on President Bola Tinubu, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to intervene.
The protest, tagged #SaveTheNigerianJudiciaryRally, saw participants marching through the Federal Secretariat complex, the National Assembly junction, and the Presidential Villa gate. They submitted a petition to the NJC, accusing the judiciary of undermining justice in Benue State.
Speaking to journalists, the convener of the coalition, Igwe Ude-Umanta, alleged that Benue State Chief Judge Justice Maurice Ikpambese had abused his office by bypassing legal requirements. He claimed that Ikpambese allowed petitioners to file cases without paying the mandatory security deposit and later relocated the tribunal outside its legal jurisdiction.
Ude-Umanta further criticized an FCT High Court ruling that allegedly overruled a Federal High Court order stopping the tribunal from sitting outside Benue. He questioned whether Benue State electoral laws could be applied outside the state, arguing that the tribunal’s relocation was unlawful.
The coalition also raised concerns about alleged plots by powerful Benue politicians, in collaboration with top police officers, to arrest and silence protesters opposing the tribunal’s move. They urged President Tinubu to act swiftly, warning that the judiciary was being compromised.
“We demand urgent intervention from Hon. Justice Kekere-Ekun, the President, and the NJC. The judiciary must not be allowed to be manipulated at the expense of justice in Benue State,” Ude-Umanta stated.
