Some citizens of Abuja's Federal Capital Territory (FCT) marched to the Minister's office in Area 11 to protest a Federal High Court decision that gave incumbent area council chairmen a one-year tenure extension.

Protesters held placards and blocked the building's entrance on Friday, increasing tension in the vicinity.

They also blocked the Gwagwalada-Giri Expressway and lit a bonfire on it, rendering the road unusable to cars.

The demonstrators want the six elected chairmen to be sworn in, which was originally slated for Friday, May 20. (today).

They also faulted the decision of the FCT minister, Bello Mohammed to suspend the inauguration and swearing-in ceremony of the elected chairmen.

According to the judgment, based on the recently signed 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 was meant to expire on Thursday, have one more year to spend in office.