In Jos, the capital city of Plateau State, Nigeria, hundreds of youths, women, and children have taken to the streets to protest against the recent tribunal and Appeal Court verdicts that resulted in the removal of state and National Assembly members elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The protest follows a series of judgments from the Appeal Court, which have led to the removal of several PDP members in the National Assembly, including the Senate Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwon.
Reports indicate that the demonstrators firmly rejected the court’s decisions, claiming that they were biased and specifically aimed at the PDP. The protests disrupted traffic and left travelers stranded as they blocked the Jos-Abuja Highway on Wednesday.
At the Mararaba Jamaa Roundabout, another group of protesters gathered, where they sang songs critical of the judiciary, set tires on fire on the road, and displayed placards bearing various inscriptions such as “The ballot is supreme,” “Do not kill our democracy,” “PDP is alive,” “Return people’s mandate,” “We want justice,” and many others.
The protesters accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of manipulating the Appeal Court to install unpopular candidates who were rejected by voters during the 2023 general elections.
Security forces have been deployed to Old Airport Road to manage another group of protesters who are denouncing the court verdicts and calling on the National Judicial Council to intervene in all cases involving the PDP and its candidates from Plateau that are before the Appeal Court.
The protests reflect the growing discontent and division within the political landscape in Plateau State, as legal battles and disputes over election outcomes continue to play out in the public arena.
