Opposition political parties in Nigeria have continued to pile pressure on the presidency to stop what they described as alleged attempts to weaken other political parties through alleged interference with the judiciary.
Tension flared on Monday at the Federal High Court Abuja as scores of demonstrators staged a protest, warning President Bola Tinubu against alleged interference in the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The protesters, under the aegis of Concerned Northern Nigeria Stakeholders, marched to the entrance of the court premises in Wuse, Abuja, chanting solidarity songs and waving placards with inscriptions such as “No Opposition, No Election,” “Tinubu, Let Our Democracy Breathe,” and “AGF Must Be Neutral.”
Security operatives, including officers of the Department of State Services, barricaded the entrance and prevented the demonstrators from gaining access to the court complex.
Addressing journalists, the leader of the group, Banki Sharrif, raised alarm over what he described as growing threats to judicial independence and democratic institutions, accusing the Federal Government of undermining due process.
He said, “We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately cease all forms of interference, overt or covert, with the judiciary. Courts must never be reduced to instruments of political engineering. The moment justice is manipulated, the nation itself is placed on trial.
