Breaking News
Breaking News: Protest at Federal High Court over Alleged Plan to Deregister Parties
A group of protesters gathered in large numbers at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, voicing anger over what they believe is a plan to deregister several opposition political parties.
The protesters warned President Bola Tinubu not to interfere with the independence of both the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Operating under the name Concerned Northern Nigeria Stakeholders, the group marched to the court entrance in the Wuse area. They sang solidarity songs and carried placards with messages such as “No Opposition, No Election”, “Tinubu, Let Our Democracy Breathe”, and “AGF Must Be Neutral”.
Security was tight at the scene, with armed personnel, including operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), stationed at the entrance. They prevented the protesters from entering the court premises.
The group’s leader, Banki Sharrif, spoke to journalists during the protest, raising concerns over what he described as growing threats to democratic institutions. He accused the federal government of attempting to bypass due legal process.
Addressing the presidency, Sharrif 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.”
He also argued that any attempt to weaken opposition parties reflects a lack of confidence on the part of the government.
“A government that seeks to weaken opposition betrays a lack of confidence in its own legitimacy. Democracy thrives on competition. Suppressing it is not strength; it is fear,” he added.
The group stressed that democracy cannot function properly without a strong opposition, stating that “elections without credible opposition are nothing more than staged exercises. Democracy demands fairness, openness, and equal opportunity for all political actors.”
Sharrif further criticised the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, insisting that the office must remain neutral and not be used for political purposes.
House of Representatives member Joshua Chinedu Obika has resigned from the All Progressives Congress, APC and defected to the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC.
This is coming barely two months after the lawmaker joined the ruling party from the Labour Party, LP.
Obika, who represents AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the FCT, was denied a return ticket by the APC despite defecting to the ruling party on 11 March 2026.
He is now set to receive an automatic ticket from the NDC to contest for a second term in the House of Representatives.
DAILY POST reports that several lawmakers have been defecting to the NDC since Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso joined the party on Sunday.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, has said it will deploy all lawful means to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to comply with existing court orders regarding the party’s leadership dispute.
The party stated this in a release issued on Wednesday by its Secretary General, Mr. Ogini Olaposi, following a closed-door meeting between selected NNPP executives, their legal counsel, Segun Fiti, and the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, in Abuja.
Olaposi said the meeting was convened to address concerns over INEC’s alleged failure to implement court judgments on the NNPP leadership tussle, but described the engagement as inconclusive and unproductive.
He said the party had exercised patience and pursued legal channels, including judgments from various courts, which he claimed directed INEC to recognise the leadership led by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam as Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Dr. Agbo Major as Chairman of the National Working Committee, NWC.
According to him, the delegation presented multiple court rulings, including those of the Abia State High Court, the Federal Capital Territory High Court, and the Owerri Court of Appeal, which allegedly ordered INEC to comply with the decisions.
Olaposi further alleged that despite a mandamus order directing INEC to update its records within 72 hours and file an affidavit of compliance, the commission had failed to act.
He also claimed that the Appeal Court in Owerri issued additional directives for compliance, which were yet to be implemented.
The NNPP scribe said the INEC Chairman, during the meeting, did not provide clear reasons for the commission’s alleged non-compliance, adding that he only stated that the party would “hear from the commission.”
Olaposi said the development suggests uncertainty over when the commission intends to act, even as preparations toward the 2027 general elections continue.
He added that the party would consider seeking further legal remedies, including possible adjustments to the electoral timetable to protect its participation in the elections.
The NNPP also called on President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, the judiciary, and security agencies to take note of the situation, warning that no institution should operate above the law.
The party insisted that it remains committed to pursuing justice through lawful and constitutional means.
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