Members of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations took to the streets in Abuja to protest against the relocation of the Benue State Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal to Abuja on Monday.
The protesters called on President Bola Tinubu, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to intervene and address what they described as actions threatening the integrity of the judiciary in Benue State.
Under the banner of the #
Speaking to journalists, Igwe Ude-Umanta, the Convener of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria, accused the Benue State Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, of abusing his office by disregarding state laws.
He claimed that Justice Ikpambese unilaterally waived the requirement for petitioners to pay a security deposit, which is a constitutional requirement for filing a valid petition. Ude-Umanta also criticized the NJC for remaining silent on the matter.
Ude-Umanta further alleged that the Chief Judge violated Benue State’s Electoral Laws by relocating the Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal to Abuja, outside its territorial jurisdiction.
He explained that the Attorney General of Benue State had approached the Federal High Court in Makurdi, which on March 7, 2025, issued an order restraining the Tribunal from sitting outside Benue State, including at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) House in Abuja.
However, Ude-Umanta noted that on March 14, 2025, an FCT High Court, presided over by Justice M.M. Adamu, issued another order compelling the Tribunal to sit in Abuja, specifically at the NBA House.
He questioned the legality of applying Benue State laws in the FCT or any other state, emphasizing that the Tribunal cannot legally operate outside Benue State.
“We are here today to submit a petition against Justice Maurice Ikpambese and Justice M.M. Adamu, whose actions have turned justice into injustice,” Ude-Umanta said.
He also raised concerns about alleged plans by powerful Benue politicians in Abuja to collaborate with top police officers to arrest and detain protesters opposing the Tribunal’s relocation.
Ude-Umanta urged President Tinubu to take action to prevent further damage to the judiciary, stressing that the petitioners did not participate in the election process and lacked the legal standing to approach the Tribunal.
“The petitioners have no right to approach the Tribunal because the Austin Agada-led APC executive was dissolved, and a Caretaker Committee was inaugurated before Justice Theresa Igoche’s order restraining the APC National Working Committee from dissolving the Benue State Executive was served,” he explained.
Ude-Umanta called for urgent intervention from Chief Justice Kekere-Ekun, President Tinubu, and the NJC to restore peace and justice in Benue State. “We demand that the NJC call its members involved in this crisis to order,” he concluded.
