BREAKING: Protest Rocks Federal High Court Over Plot to Deregister Opposition Parties

Protesters on Monday swarmed the Federal High Court in Abuja to express their displeasure over an alleged scheme to deregister several opposition political parties.

The demonstrators, who arrived in large numbers, cautioned President Bola Tinubu against meddling with the independence of the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The group, operating under the banner of the Concerned Northern Nigeria Stakeholders, marched to the court’s entrance in the Wuse district.

While chanting songs of solidarity, they displayed various placards with messages such as “No Opposition, No Election,” “Tinubu, Let Our Democracy Breathe,” and “AGF Must Be Neutral.”

Heavily armed security personnel, including operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS), were deployed to the scene. They created a blockade at the entrance, preventing the crowd from entering the court premises.

Banki Sharrif, the leader of the group, addressed the press during the demonstration. He expressed grave concerns regarding what he described as escalating threats to democratic institutions. Sharrif specifically pointed fingers at the Federal Government for allegedly attempting to bypass due legal processes.

Addressing the Presidency, Sharrif stated, “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 further argued that any attempt to stifle the opposition suggests a lack of confidence by the administration in its own standing. “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.

According to the group, the survival of the republic depends on a free civic space. They emphasized that “Elections without credible opposition are nothing more than staged exercises. Democracy demands fairness, openness, and equal opportunity for all political actors.”

Sharrif also turned his attention to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN. He insisted that the AGF’s office must remain non-partisan and should not be used as a tool for political vendettas.

“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,” Sharrif remarked. He noted that the group is particularly worried about administrative tactics aimed at delisting parties with deep roots in Northern Nigeria.

Warning of the potential for chaos, he noted, “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.”

The protest concluded with a stern reminder that the public’s faith in the legal system is fragile. Sharrif warned that “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.”

This development follows a legal battle where the AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, has thrown his weight behind a suit seeking the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party, and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). The suit, filed by a group of former lawmakers, argues that these parties have failed to meet the constitutional requirements necessary to remain on the ballot.