Tension rose at the Federal High Court on Monday as protesters gathered to oppose moves to deregister opposition political parties.
The demonstrators, under the banner of Concerned Northern Nigeria Stakeholders, marched from the National Assembly to the court premises in Wuse, chanting slogans and displaying placards with messages such as “No Opposition, No Election” and “Let Our Democracy Breathe.”
Security personnel, including operatives of the Department of State Services, blocked access to the court complex, preventing the protesters from entering.
Speaking to journalists, the group’s leader, Banki Sharrif, accused the government of attempting to undermine democratic institutions. He warned against any interference with the judiciary and the electoral body, stressing that democracy depends on fairness and open political competition.
He argued that weakening opposition parties could erode public trust in governance and reduce elections to mere formalities.
The protesters also called for neutrality from the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, cautioning against politicising the office.
According to the group, any effort to sideline opposition voices or manipulate legal processes could deepen divisions and threaten the country’s democratic stability.
The protest comes amid ongoing legal proceedings seeking the deregistration of several political parties, a development that has heightened political tensions across the country.
