Protesters from the Free Nigeria Movement (FNM) have protested at the Court of Appeal headquarters in Abuja, where the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) sits.
PulseNets reports that the purpose of the protest is to demand fairness and impartiality in the ongoing adjudication of the February 25 presidential election.
Dressed predominantly in black attire, the protesters expressed solidarity with the victims of rampant insecurity throughout the country, particularly in the North-central region.
They called for an end to the recent wave of killings.
The demonstrators held up numerous placards bearing messages such as “INEC Must Revert Polling Unit Results,” “We Take A Stand – May Nigeria Win,” “Stop The Violence,” “Nigeria Not For Sale,” and “We Stand For Justice,” among others. They also voiced slogans advocating for justice, transparency in the legal process at the Tribunal, and good governance.
During his address to the crowd, Dr Moses Paul, the convener of the group, emphasised that they were not aligned with any political party but stood in solidarity with the Nigerian people in defence of justice and good governance, Leadership Newspaper reports.
He stressed the importance of upholding the integrity of the ongoing proceedings inside the Appeal Court, firmly condemning any judge who might be swayed by bribery or disregard the Nigerian constitution, warning them of dire consequences.
Dr Paul declared, “Any judge that decides to collect money or decides not to follow the constitution of Nigeria, any judge that decides to do the wrong thing so that Nigeria can go down, e no go better for una! The entire Africa and the world is waiting for us to show dignity, honestly, direction, and leadership because until Nigeria takes its seat in the comity of nations, Africa is going nowhere. We cannot watch our nation degrade to nothing when the world is watching and waiting for us. We have seen so much death and blood that we are not even crying anymore. We stand here for equity, justice, fairness, and accountability; that’s our demand.”
Lucky Obiyan, another member of the group, expressed concerns about a political agenda that prioritises self-interest over national welfare in the forthcoming inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.
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Obiyan asserted that the Free Nigeria Movement refuses to align with an assembly that would become subservient to the whims and desires of the ruling party. He appealed for a commitment to justice from the Appellate Court to the Supreme Court, urging authorities not to compromise fairness by succumbing to bribery.
This newspaper learnt that despite a heavy police presence, the protest remained peaceful, with no reports of violence or arrests.
