- According to him, the judiciary must remain independent and should not be influenced by political interests
- They cautioned that elections without strong opposition would lack credibility and fail to reflect the will of the people
Tension rose on Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja as a group of protesters gathered to accuse the government of undermining democratic institutions.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the demonstrators, operating under the banner of Concerned Northern Nigeria Stakeholders, assembled near the court complex in Wuse, chanting and displaying placards with messages calling for the protection of democracy and political opposition.
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Security personnel, including operatives of the Department of State Services, blocked access to the premises and stopped the protesters from entering the court.
Speaking on behalf of the group, its leader, Banki Sharrif, expressed concern over what he described as increasing pressure on the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He urged Bola Tinubu to avoid any form of interference in judicial processes, warning that weakening the courts could have serious consequences for the country’s democracy.
According to him, the judiciary must remain independent and should not be influenced by political interests, stressing that any attempt to manipulate legal processes could erode public confidence.
The group also raised concerns about efforts they believe could weaken opposition parties, arguing that a healthy democracy depends on active political competition.
They cautioned that elections without strong opposition would lack credibility and fail to reflect the will of the people.
Sharrif further called on the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to remain neutral and uphold the rule of law, warning against using the office for political purposes.
He alleged that there were moves to use legal and administrative measures to sideline certain political parties, particularly those with support in the northern region.
The protesters warned that if courts are perceived as aligned with the executive arm of government, public trust in the justice system could decline, potentially leading to wider unrest.
They added that citizens could lose confidence in legal institutions if judicial independence is compromised.
The protest comes amid rising political tension linked to a case supported by the Attorney General seeking the deregistration of several political parties.
In court filings, the AGF backed a suit asking the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove some parties from its register, including the African Democratic Congress, over alleged failure to meet constitutional requirements.
Other parties mentioned in the case include the Action Peoples Party, Action Alliance, Accord Party, and Zenith Labour Party.
The development has sparked debate about the balance between enforcing electoral laws and protecting political plurality as Nigeria prepares for future elections.
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