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Alia refutes claims of funding protest against Benue CJ
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Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has distanced himself from the protest held against the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpembese, for relocating the Benue Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal from Benue to Abuja.
Hundreds of demonstrators from Benue State took to the streets of Abuja on Monday, for a peaceful protest from the National Assembly to the Supreme Court to express their outrage over the Benue CJ’s decision.
Justice Ikpembese had on March 5 ordered the relocation of the Benue Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal from Benue to Abuja, citing safety concerns.
The tribunal is currently handling disputes arising from the Benue State Local Government elections conducted on October 5, 2024.
Reports indicate that 93 petitioners, including aggrieved candidates from both the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, have filed cases at the tribunal since October 17, 2024.
The Benue State Government, through the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Mr. Fidelis Mnyim, had questioned the CJ’s unilateral decision, noting that neither the governor nor his office had been formally notified.
But in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday, Governor Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, distanced his principal from the protest against the CJ.
Tersoo said, “How can the government sponsor a protest when people listen to the news and read papers and they are enlightened and might have seen how court cases turned political?
“The government stands to gain nothing in sponsoring a protest; rather it is focused on channeling resources to infrastructural development in the state.
“It’s unfortunate that the state Chief Judge has to go public, that he selected tough people to sit on election petition tribunal.”
Also speaking with The PUNCH, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Makurdi branch, Terna Yaji, lamented how the tribunal case had been politicised.
Yaji decried the conflicting orders by the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi and the High Court in Abuja stating that such orders had created uncertainty.
“The Federal High Court in Makurdi and High Court in Abuja judicial division are giving conflicting orders, and in this cas,e there is uncertainty. But the latest order should take pre-eminence.
“It is unfortunate that the court case has become a political case and this is what we have been saying that we should not allow politicians to interfere in court cases.”
The political tension comes in the wake of an earlier attempt by the Benue State Government to remove the CJ over allegations of misconduct and corruption.
The Benue State House of Assembly, acting on a petition from Governor Alia, had recommended Justice Ikpembese’s removal, a move that was resisted by the National Judicial Council and the NBA.
On Monday, scores of placard-bearing protesters, condemned the CJ’s action, relocating the tribunal from Benue to the NBA secretariat in Abuja.
Addressing journalists during the protest, the convener of the group, Igwe Ude-Umanta, faulted the Benue CJ for unilaterally granting a waiver to petitioners of the Local Government Election Tribunal, violating the constitutional requirement for a security deposit.
Ude-Umanta also blamed Justice M.M. Adamu of the FCT High Court 34 for issuing an order compelling the tribunal to sit in Abuja, despite a previous court order restraining the tribunal from sitting outside Benue State.
The protesters called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to intervene urgently in the crisis and expunge corrupt judges from the Nigerian judiciary.
They also urged President Bola Tinubu to take immediate action to address the crisis and ensure that justice is served.
“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-Ekun, must save it.
“We are here today to submit a petition against Justice Maurice Ikpembese and Justice M. M. Adamu, who, by their actions, have converted the title of Justice to injustice. It behooves the Chief Justice of Nigeria to expunge corrupt judges from the judiciary to restore its integrity.
“We also call on President Bola 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.”
Recall that the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpembese, had earlier ordered the relocation of the tribunal from Makurdi to Nigeria Bar Association House, Abuja due to insecurity.
But the sitting of the panel, which should have started in Abuja on March 10, was put on hold due to a restraining order by a Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi.
The court directed that the election petition tribunal should hold in Benue State, against Justice Ikpembese’s ruling.
However, the ruling All Progressives Congress approached the FCT High Court in Abuja with a prayer that the panel be relocated to Abuja as earlier ordered by the Benue Chief Judge.
Granting the prayer on Friday, Justice Adamu directed the tribunal to continue to conduct its sitting at the NBA House in Abuja.
The court also restrained the tribunal from sitting in Benue State.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the Nigerian judiciary to ensure the delivery of fair and timely justice, warning that a compromised legal system poses a threat to democratic stability.
The president made the call on Monday during the commissioning of the Court of Appeal Abuja Division building complex in Dakibiyu, Abuja.
The development was disclosed in a statement posted on the official page of Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented the President at the event.
According to the statement, Tinubu expressed concern over delays in the administration of justice and the growing frustration among citizens over prolonged court cases and case backlogs.
He said the justice system must remain accessible, fair and efficient to sustain public confidence in the judiciary.
“To my Lords Justices, as you move into this complex, Nigeria asks one thing of you: let justice be swift. Let it be fair. Let it be blind to status, tribe, or purse. Let the common man feel that this Court is truly his last hope,” Tinubu said.
The president stated that the newly commissioned Court of Appeal complex reflects his administration’s commitment to strengthening the justice sector under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to him, providing a befitting working environment for judicial officers remains part of efforts to improve the effectiveness of the nation’s justice system.
The Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna on Monday adjourned the trial of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai to June 24, 2026, following the failure of two co-defendants to appear before the court.
El-Rufai, who is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations of abuse of office, financial impropriety, and fraud during his tenure as governor, was present in court when the matter was called.
The former governor arrived at the court premises at about 9:30 a.m., accompanied by officials of the ICPC, as well as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force.
However, proceedings could not continue as scheduled after two other defendants named in the charge failed to appear before the court.
Following submissions by counsel, the presiding judge adjourned the matter to June 24, 2026, for the continuation of the hearing.
El-Rufai has consistently denied all allegations levelled against him, insisting that all actions taken during his administration were carried out in accordance with the law and established procedures.
The ICPC, on its part, alleges that public funds were released for projects that were either not executed or were improperly handled during the former governor’s administration.
The anti-corruption agency maintains that the charges against the defendants are supported by evidence gathered during its investigations and has expressed readiness to prosecute the case to its logical conclusion.
At previous sittings, the court had entertained arguments relating to bail conditions and preliminary applications filed by the defence team.
Monday’s proceedings were expected to feature further arguments on pending motions before the unexpected absence of the two co-defendants stalled the hearing.
The trial has continued to attract considerable public attention, given El-Rufai’s prominence in national politics and his eight-year tenure as governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.
With the matter now adjourned, both the prosecution and defence teams are expected to return to court on June 24 for the continuation of proceedings.
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, ahead of the 2027 polls, Peter Obi, has condemned in very strong terms the order given by the Federal High Court in Abuja that the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and four other parties should be deregistered for failing to meet constitutional requirements.
The former Anambra State governor, who took a swipe at the pronouncement, warned that the nation’s sacred institutions must not be sacrificed on the altar of politics.
Reacting to the Federal High Court ruling on Monday deregistering some political parties, including ADC, Obi remarked that the nation rises when institutions are stronger and not when they’re politicised.
Justice Peter Lifu ruled Monday that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, must deregister ADC, Accord, Action Alliance, AA, Action Peoples Party, APP, and Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, after they failed to secure 25% of votes in the last general elections.
Writing on his X handle, the 2023 Labour Party Presidential Candidate said, “When the controversy surrounding the removal of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, unfolded, I expressed a concern to a friend: that the greatest damage might not be immediate, but the message it sends about the sanctity and independence of our institutions to the world.”
“Strong economies are built on trust. Investors can manage security risks, policy risks, and even market risks. What they fear most is uncertainty in the rule of law and a judiciary that is perceived to be vulnerable to political pressure.
“Today, many Nigerians have lost confidence in systems that should protect them. Businesses increasingly request that their contracts be governed by foreign jurisdictions because they have greater confidence in those institutions than in our own. That should concern every patriot.
“We must never sacrifice our sacred institutions on the altar of politics. Nations rise when institutions are stronger than individuals. The Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of the ADC and other political parties is just one of those activities that further reduces the common man’s trust in our legal systems; it should be reversed.
“I pledge that we will restore the dignity, independence, and integrity of the judiciary. The common man must have a voice. The business community must be protected from legal uncertainty and intimidation. Justice must be impartial, accessible, and respected by all.
“To our judges, legal luminaries, senior advocates, and lawyers: this is your moment. Rise, defend the rule of law, take back your country! A new Nigeria is possible.”
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