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A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on Monday staged a protest at the Three Arms Zone, urging President Bola Tinubu and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun to intervene in the ongoing crisis within the Benue State Judiciary.
The protesters carried placards condemning alleged judicial misconduct, warning that “Nigeria’s democracy is in clear danger” and calling on the CJN to take decisive action.
Reportedly, the Chief Convener, Comrade Igwe Ude-Umanta, accused the judiciary of becoming excessively politicized.
“The court in Nigeria has become more politicized than registered political parties,” he said. “How can a Chief Judge blatantly violate state laws while the National Judicial Council (NJC) remains silent?”
He cited alleged misconduct by Justice Maurice Ikpambese, the Chief Judge of Benue State, who he claimed granted an unlawful waiver to petitioners in the Local Government Election Tribunal, bypassing the mandatory security deposit.
“Despite this clear violation, the NJC has not sanctioned him. He went further by relocating the tribunal to Abuja, beyond its territorial jurisdiction, in defiance of Benue State Electoral Law. Yet, the NJC watches idly,” Ude-Umanta stated.
According to him, the Benue State Attorney General challenged the tribunal’s relocation in the Federal High Court in Makurdi, which issued an order on March 7, 2025, restricting it from sitting outside Benue State. However, on March 14, Justice M.M. Adamu of the FCT High Court 34 allegedly issued a counter-order allowing the tribunal to sit in Abuja at the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) House.
“The question is: Can Benue State laws be enforced in the FCT or another state? If not, then the tribunal has no business sitting outside Benue State,” he argued.
The CSOs submitted a petition against Justices Ikpambese and Adamu, accusing them of undermining the judiciary’s integrity.
They also alleged that powerful politicians in Abuja were colluding with police officers to suppress protests against the tribunal’s relocation, citing recent military intimidation of demonstrators at the NBA House.
Commending the FCT Commissioner of Police for ensuring orderliness, the protesters called on President Tinubu and the CJN to act swiftly.
“We demand urgent intervention from Justice Kekere-Ekun, President Tinubu, and the NJC to restore justice in Benue State,” Ude-Umanta concluded.
