*Angry youths block Minister’s office, make bonfire on Gwagwalada-Abuja, other roads
Just two after the skirmishes at Dei-Dei Building Materials Market, some residents of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT ) Friday embarked on protests along some strategic expressways in the terriroty, setting bonfire on the roads, thus preventing human and vehicular movement.
The situation have led to commotion and tension, causing traffic gridlock along major highways in the FCT.
Some of the protesters have also blocked the FCT Minister’s office located at Area 11.
they said they were protesting against the judgement of a Federal High Court which granted one-year tenure extension to the incumbent six Area Council Chairmen, who all belong to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The protesters are calling for the swearing-in of the Chairmen-elect earlier scheduled for today Friday 20th, insisting that the recourse for obtaining court backing to perform an illegality or violate the country’s constitution must stop.
They therefore faulted the decision of the Minister, Alhaji Bello Mohammad, for suspending the inauguraion and swearing-in ceremony of the elected chairmen, accusing him of doing so because not all of the elected chairman and councillors belong to the APC.
According to the judgment, based on the new Electoral Act 2022, which stipulates that the tenure of office of the chairmen of the Area Councils in FCT would now be four years, instead of three years, the existing chairmen, whose tenure expired on Thursday, have automatically earned additional year in office to.The cancellation of the swearing-in according to the minister was reference to the court decision extending by one year, the tenure of out-going chairman and councillors.
The court had in suit No. FCT/HC/W/910/2022, extend by one year, the tenure of the out-going Chairmen and Councilors of FCT Area Councils which was supposed to expire today (Friday).
But the affected politicians were elected under the amended Electoral Act which prescribed three year tenure for them. They were also sworn into office based in the previous law.
However, in a press conference at the party’s headquarters on Thursday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba said that the move is a very dangerous design by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in connivance with certain judicial officers to abridge the democratic system and foist anarchy in the country.
“The clear intent of this judgment is to abridge our electoral process, overthrow the entire outcome of the FCT Area Council election held on Saturday, February 12, 2022 which was overwhelmingly won by candidates of the PDP, halt the swearing in of the newly elected Chairmen and Councilors and impose an undemocratic government in the FCT.
“The PDP vehemently and without equivocation rejects the judgement in its entirety. This judgment cannot be executed as it unconstitutional, illegal, baseless and devoid of any legal foundation and reasoning for implementation.
“This is because the four years tenure provided for FCT Area Council Chairmen and Councilors in the newly enacted Electoral Act 2022, upon which the judgement is based, cannot be made retroactive to apply to outgoing Chairmen and Councilors who were elected under the 2010 Electoral Act which provided for a three-year tenure commencing from the date of their swearing-in,” he said.
