Government activities were temporarily grounded on Wednesday as top government officials, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, led the government team to the Appeal Court for the Presidential Election Petition judgement.
Some Governors of the All Progressive Congress ( APC), Ministers and other top government officials joined the Vice President in court.
The office of the Vice President at the Presidential Villa was like a ghost place, as many offices were shut.
This was also the case at the President’s wing, as most of the staff of the President were said to have joined the Vice President at the Appeal Court.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu had travelled to India to attend the G20 summit.
Outside the Court of Appeal premises, it was a beehive of activities as Asari Dokubo group heads swayed in what they described as pro-President Bola Tinubu’s Presidency.
The group operates under the aegis of Asari Dokubo’s Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force. They said they were protesting an attempt to “use the youths against Tinubu’s election.”
Ekiyor-Zua Daniels, Coordinator of the group, told BusinessDay that “we are in solidarity with the declared mandate by INEC given to Bola Tinubu”.
Daniels said they have been on the ground for 109 days, protesting to back the Tinubu Presidency.
According to him, their activities were motivated by the need to halt attempts by the Obi/ Datti group to use “youths and ethnicity to blackmail the INEC over the declaration of Tinubu as President.”
“We noted that before now, there had been attempts to use youths and wipe up ethnic and religious sentiments to blackmail President Tinubu,
“We as patriotic citizens have noted that this is not the right way to pursue a just course if they have any.”
“We advise everyone with grievances to go through the proper process and not intimidate the judges with mischievous #eyes on the judges.
They said they are also kicking against what they see as an attempt to endanger the lives of the judges and their families by publishing photographs of the judges and their families.
They informed BusinessDay that the Police gave them clearance to state their protest and gave them the place where they gathered, at the Eagles Square, behind the office of the Head of Service of the Federation.
However, they stated that they are willing to abode whatever decision comes out of the court judgement.
“Whatever the judges decide, we will abide by it.”
