Nigeria’s Federal High Court faced tension on Monday as scores of demonstrators staged a protest, warning President Bola Tinubu against alleged interference in the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Under the aegis of Concerned Northern Nigeria Stakeholders, the protesters 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 (DSS), barricaded the entrance and prevented the demonstrators from gaining access to the court complex.
Speaking newsmen, 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.
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.
“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.
“Elections without credible opposition are nothing more than staged exercises. Democracy demands fairness, openness, and equal opportunity for all political actors.
The demonstrators warned that democracy cannot function under “intimidation, coercion, or calculated manipulation,” insisting that civic space and opposition remain central to a functioning republic.
They further argued that attempts to weaken opposition parties reflect “a lack of confidence” in governance, reiterating that “democracy thrives on competition.”
On the role of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, Sharrif stressed the need for neutrality, cautioning against the politicisation of the office.
“The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation must remain firmly anchored in neutrality and the rule of law. It must not be weaponised for political ends.
“Again, we are alarmed by moves suggesting the use of technicalities and administrative manoeuvring to weaken or delist political parties, particularly those with strong roots in Northern Nigeria.
“If the courts lend legitimacy to such actions without strict adherence to due process and substantive justice, it will be seen as judicial endorsement of political exclusion. That path is dangerous, risks disenfranchisement, deepens division, and could trigger widespread unrest.
“Where the judiciary is perceived as an extension of the Executive, citizens inevitably lose faith in lawful remedies. When courts fail, the streets become the courtroom. No nation survives such a breakdown without serious consequences.
“We are closely monitoring every action of this administration and every pronouncement of the courts.”