Abuja residents lament darkness, as they await tribunal judgement

Residents have decried total darkness in the federal capital territory as Nigerians eagerly await the judgement of the presidential election tribunal.

Umar Bangari, the chief registrar at the appeal Court, said that to promote transparency and openness, the judgement would be televised live by interested television stations for the public to follow, as access to the court premises will be strictly on accreditation.

This may no longer be possible for most residents in the FCT, as the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), on Tuesday, joined the 2-day warning strike organized by the Nigerian Labour Congress to protest the hardship being experienced by Nigerians as a result of the fuel subsidy removal.

The AEDC management, in a statement, had said,” We are aware of the general power outage being experienced across our franchise due to enforcement by NLC of the 2-day warning strike embarked upon by the labour union. We apologize for any inconvenience you may be experiencing as a result of this as we continue our engagement with key stakeholders towards minimizing the strike’s impact on our customers.

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It advised customers to take necessary precautions to manage the outage effectively. “Kindly unplug sensitive electronic devices and appliances from power sources pending power restoration. We will continue to provide updates on developments regarding the impact of the strike action on our operations through our official social media handles.”

Speaking with Businessday, Adam Sule, a wine shop owner at the Wuse market, said his plans to watch the court process in his house have been forfeited due to a power outage.

“Myself and my friends at the shop had planned to stay in our houses to watch this court process today, but we cannot do that anymore because AEDC is currently on strike, and I do not have a generator.

“But I hope this is not the government’s plan, because they have always been against the live broadcast of the court process.

“Well, as you can see, I’m about to leave the house to go to my shop. Whatever the outcome, we will hear about it later in the day,” he said.

It was the same for Chike Ugo, as he expressed frustration over the power outage, which is expected to continue today. “I do know why AEDC will choose to go on strike on a day like this, knowing how vital this judgement is to Nigerians.

“We have been following this case, and if allowed, I do not mind going to the court, and I was happy when I heard that the judgement will be televised, but where is the electricity now?”