Protest Breaks Out in Abuja Over Benue Judiciary Crisis

On Monday, demonstrators staged a peaceful protest from the National Assembly Complex to the Supreme Court in Abuja, voicing their concerns over the judiciary crisis in Benue State.

The protesters, including civil society organizations, human rights groups, and concerned citizens, carried banners condemning the alleged takeover of the Benue Local Government Election Tribunal by certain politicians.

They called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to intervene urgently and take action against corrupt judges to restore public confidence in the judiciary.

They also called on President Bola Tinubu to take swift action to resolve the crisis and uphold justice.

“Today, we are here as concerned Nigerians who believe in the rule of law. Our democracy is in clear danger, and the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Eku, must save it,” the convener of the group, Igwe Ude-Umanta, told journalists.

“We also call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to fold his arm and watch the judiciary go down.

“The Benue situation is the worst at the moment because the petitioners did not even participate in any of the process of the election,” he added.

The Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpembese, had previously ordered the relocation of the election tribunal from Makurdi to the Nigeria Bar Association House in Abuja due to security concerns.

However, the tribunal’s proceedings, scheduled to begin in Abuja on March 10, were halted by a restraining order from a Federal High Court in Makurdi, which ruled that the tribunal must sit in Benue State, contradicting Justice Ikpembese’s directive.

In response, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) approached the FCT High Court in Abuja, requesting the tribunal’s relocation to Abuja as originally ordered.

On Friday, the court granted the request, directing the tribunal to continue its sessions at the NBA House in Abuja and barring it from holding proceedings in Benue State.