Amidst the controversy over the removal of the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpembese, by the State House of Assembly, a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Abuja have criticised the relocation of the Benue State Local Government Election Petition Tribunal from the North Central state to the nation’s capital.
At a rally at the National Judicial Council (NJC) headquarters in Abuja on Monday, the convener of the coalition, Igwe Ude-Umanta, said the continuous sitting of the tribunal in Abuja was an aberration.
He appealed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to address the alleged corruption in the judiciary particularly as it affects Benue State.
The groups claimed that the judiciary in Nigeria has become more politicised than registered political parties.
Ude-Umanta said, “The strength of every democracy is the judiciary. The court of law is supposed to be the arbiter of justice where the constitution is interpreted without bias, but today, the reverse is the case. The court in Nigeria has become more politicised than registered political parties.
“How on earth could a Chief Judge of a state fragrantly abuse office by flaunting the state laws and the National Judicial Council (NJC) is quiet? Justice Maurice Ikpambese, the Chief Judge of Benue State unilaterally granted a waiver to petitioners of the Local Government Election Tribunal not to pay security deposits, a constitutional prerequisite for any valid petition and he is not been sanctioned.
“On the strength of the refusal of the NJC to punish him, he again violated the Electoral Laws of Benue State when he relocated the Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal to Abuja which is clearly off territorial jurisdiction in clear violation of the Benue State Electoral Law, yet the NJC is just watching.
“In an attempt to protect the constitution of Nigeria and the laws of Benue State, the Attorney General of Benue State approached the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi which granted an order restraining the Tribunal from sitting anywhere outside Benue State including the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) house Abuja. This order was granted on the 7th of March 2025 to the admiration of Nigerians.
“Surprisingly, on Friday 14th March 2025, an FCT High Court 34 presided by Justice M.M Adamu frivolously issued another order compelling the Benue State Local Government Election Tribunal Tribunal to conduct sitting in Abuja and particularly at the NBA house.
“The question is, can the Benue State laws be applied in the FCT or any other state other than Benue State? if the answer is no, it is also clear that the Benue State Local Government Election Tribunal cannot sit outside Benue State.”
“We are here today to submit a petition against Justice Maurice Ikpambese and Justice M. M Adamu who by their actions have converted the title of justice to injustice.
“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to fold his arm as the judiciary is being bastardised daily. Mr President sir, the Benue situation is the worst at the moment because the petitioners did not even participate in any of the process of the election.
“We demand an urgent intervention of Hon. Justice Kekere-Ekun, we demand an intervention of Mr. President and we demand that NJC call its members involved in the ongoing crisis to order in the interest of peace and justice in Benue State,” the convener stated.
