The office of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Mohammed Bello, and the FCT Administration Secretariat have been shut down by hundreds of protesters from Abuja Municipal Area Council following the delayed inauguration of newly elected council chairmen and councillors.

The administration had on Thursday cited the ruling of an FCT High Court for suspending the swearing-in.

One of the outgoing chairmen had approached the court seeking a tenure extension by one year in accordance with the new Electoral Act that stipulates a four-year term for area council chairmen in the FCT and the court had subsequently ruled in his favour.

The FCT Minister had, while reacting to the court judgment, explained that as a law-abiding administration, the FCTA would also abide by the ruling.

However, hundreds of residents invaded the Minister’s office Friday demanding the immediate swearing-in of the elected council officials.

It can recalled that the new council chairmen, six in number, and 62 councillors were elected in February this year.