A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) staged a protest in Abuja on Monday, calling on President Bola Tinubu and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to intervene in the ongoing crisis rocking the Benue State Judiciary. The protesters, who gathered at the Three Arms Zone, expressed concerns over the politicization of the judiciary and the alleged abuse of office by some judges.
The demonstrators carried placards with inscriptions such as “Nigeria’s Democracy is in Danger” and “CJN Must Save the Judiciary.” They accused the judiciary of being compromised and called for urgent action to restore its integrity.
Addressing journalists, Chief Convener of the coalition, Comrade Igwe Ude-Umanta, criticized the actions of Justice Maurice Ikpambese, the Chief Judge of Benue State, and Justice M.M Adamu of the FCT High Court. Ude-Umanta alleged that Justice Ikpambese had flouted state laws by granting a waiver to petitioners of the Local Government Election Tribunal, exempting them from paying the required security deposit. He also accused the Chief Judge of illegally relocating the tribunal to Abuja, outside its territorial jurisdiction, in violation of Benue State Electoral Law.
“The court in Nigeria has become more politicized than registered political parties,” Ude-Umanta said. “How on earth could a Chief Judge of a state flagrantly abuse his office by flouting state laws, and the National Judicial Council (NJC) remains silent?”
He further highlighted a recent court order issued by Justice M.M Adamu, which contradicted a prior ruling by the Federal High Court in Makurdi. The Makurdi court had restrained the tribunal from sitting outside Benue State, but Justice Adamu’s order compelled the tribunal to continue sitting in Abuja.
“The question is, can the Benue State laws be applied in the FCT or any other state? If the answer is no, it is also clear that the Benue State Local Government Election Tribunal cannot sit outside Benue State,” Ude-Umanta stated.
The coalition submitted a petition against Justices Ikpambese and Adamu, urging the CJN to take decisive action to restore the judiciary’s integrity. They also called on President Tinubu to intervene, warning that the judiciary is being “bastardized on a daily basis.”
The protesters raised concerns about alleged plans by powerful Benue politicians and top police officers to arrest and detain those opposing the tribunal’s relocation. They commended the FCT Commissioner of Police for maintaining order during a recent protest at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) House in Abuja, where the tribunal is currently sitting.
“We demand the urgent intervention of Hon. Justice Kekere-Ekun, we demand the intervention of Mr. President, and we demand that the NJC call its members involved in this crisis to order in the interest of peace and justice in Benue State,” Ude-Umanta added.
The protest underscores growing concerns about the independence and integrity of Nigeria’s judiciary, with calls for accountability and adherence to the rule of law.
