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•Coalition drags CJ before Tinubu, CJN, allege misconduct
From Romanus Ugwu and Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Protesters numbering hundreds grounded activities at the Federal Secretariat axis of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, yesterday, disrupting human and vehicular movements.
Conveners of the protest under the auspices of Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria also petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekum, President Bola Tinubu and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to intervene in rescuing Nigeria’s democracy.
Bearing banners and placards with various inscriptions, like: “Enough of crooked court orders,” “We want independence of the judiciary,” “NJC must act now,” “Save the Nigeria judiciary, the time is now,” and “Corrupt judges must be expunged from the system now,” the protesters marched through the road linking the Federal Secretariat Complex to the precinct of the Court of Appeal to register their grievances on the alleged abuse of the judiciary.
The coalition’s chief convener, Igwe Ude-Umanta, who submitted a petition on the issue to the NJC singled out the controversial decisions of the courts in Benue and Rivers states as instances where judicial officers have allegedly taken politically motivated decisions in breach of the laid down rules and regulations.
Justice M. M. Adamu of the FCT High Court had granted an ex parte motion directing the Benue State Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal to sit in Abuja to hear and determine all petitions arising from the October 5, 2024 local government elections.
Addressing newsmen during the protest, Ude-Umanta criticised Justice Adamu for issuing an order compelling the tribunal to sit in Abuja, despite an earlier court ruling that prohibited such action.
“We are here as concerned Nigerians, who believe in the rule of law. Our democracy is in clear danger, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, must save it.
“How on earth could a Chief Judge of a state flagrantly abuse his office by flouting state laws, while the National Judicial Council (NJC) remains silent? Justice Ikpambese, the Chief Judge of Benue State, unilaterally granted a waiver to petitioners of the Local Government Election Tribunal, exempting them from paying the security deposit, a constitutional prerequisite for any valid petition, and he has not been sanctioned.
“On the strength of the NJC’s refusal to punish him, he again violated the electoral laws of Benue State by relocating the Local Government Election Petition Tribunal to Abuja, which is clearly outside its territorial jurisdiction, in violation of the Benue State Electoral Law, yet the NJC is just watching.
“In an attempt to protect the Constitution of Nigeria and the laws of Benue State, the Attorney General of Benue State approached the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, which granted an order restraining the tribunal from sitting anywhere outside Benue State, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) House, Abuja. This order was granted on March 7, 2025, to the admiration of Nigerians.
“Surprisingly, on Friday, March 14, 2025, an FCT High Court, presided over by Justice Adamu, frivolously issued another order compelling the Benue State Local Government Election Tribunal to conduct its sittings in Abuja, particularly at the NBA House.
“The question is, can Benue State laws be applied in the FCT or any other state apart from Benue State? If the answer is no, then it is also clear that the Benue State Local Government Election Tribunal cannot sit outside Benue State.
“We are here today to submit a petition against Justice Maurice Ikpambese and Justice M.M. Adamu, who by their actions, have turned justice into injustice.
“We call on President Bola Tinubu not to fold his arms while the judiciary is being bastardised daily. Mr. President sir, the Benue situation is the worst at the moment because the petitioners did not even participate in any part of the election process.
“The petitioners ordinarily have no locus standi to approach the tribunal because the Austin Agada-led APC executive was dissolved and a caretaker committee inaugurated before Justice Theresa Igoche’s order restraining the National Working Committee of the APC from dissolving the Benue State Executive was served.
“We demand the urgent intervention of Justice Kekere-Ekun, we demand the intervention of Mr. President, and we demand that the NJC call its members involved in the ongoing crisis to order in the interest of peace and justice in Benue State.”
