SAN Faults Extended Movement Restriction Ahead of FCT Polls

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Monday Ubani, has criticised the prolonged restriction of movement imposed ahead of the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, describing the directive as excessive and potentially disproportionate.

Ubani made the remarks on Friday during an appearance on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television, where he questioned the rationale behind the duration of the order.

The restriction, which takes effect from 8 p.m. on Friday until Saturday evening, has been introduced as part of security measures surrounding the elections. However, Ubani argued that the timeframe appears unnecessarily long.

“Let them take a hard look again at this particular directive. They should take a look at it. I mean, from 8 p.m. tonight till the following day. Honestly, it doesn’t make sense to me.

But they may have a reason, I don’t know, because they see more than we,” he said.

While expressing reservations about the directive, the senior lawyer acknowledged that security agencies may be acting on intelligence not available to the public.

Ubani also noted that in situations where there appear to be conflicting directives from authorities, citizens generally defer to the police as the primary enforcement body.

“The police’s own is different, though. I think we obey the police, though. So when there is conflict, who supersedes? They are the enforcers, so we obey the enforcers,” he added.

The movement restriction forms part of broader security arrangements typically deployed during major electoral exercises to maintain order and prevent disruptions. However, Ubani’s comments add to ongoing public debate about balancing security concerns with the rights and convenience of residents during democratic processes.