A coalition of indigenous groups and long-term residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has issued a clarion call to the newly appointed chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), urging him to immediately commence preparations for the conduct of a governorship election in the nation’s capital.
The indigenous groups made the demand in a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, based on the recent Supreme Court ruling upholding the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), which ruled that Abuja/FCT should be treated as the 37th state in Nigeria for the purposes of calculating the two-thirds majority required for a presidential candidate to be declared the winner of an election.
The coalition of indigenous groups under the banner of the FCT Senior Citizens Forum, also called on President Bola Tinubu to, without delay, rename the current Minister of the FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike, as the Sole Administrator of the territory to complete what they termed his “first tenure,” paving the way for a democratically elected governor in the subsequent election cycle.
The press conference, titled “Fulfilling the Democratic Status of Abuja,” was led by its voordinator, Elder Danjuma Tanko Dara.
He stated that the time has come for the full implication of the court’s judgement to be actualized, granting every Nigerian living in the FCT the right to not only contest for but also to elect their own governor and members of a State House of Assembly.
“The recent judgement of the Court of Appeal is not a mere legal opinion; it is a binding pronouncement that has clarified the constitutional standing of the FCT.
“For too long, the citizens of Abuja have been treated as second-class voters, participating in presidential elections but denied the fundamental right to elect their own chief executive and legislative assembly for the territory. This democratic deficit ends now.
“We call on Prof. Joash Amupitan, as a distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a man known for his integrity, to hit the ground running. His first major task, beyond the general elections, must be to set in motion the machinery for the FCT Governorship Election.
“The logistics of voter registration, delineation of constituencies for a state assembly, and the planning for this historic poll must begin in earnest. We cannot afford any delays,” Dara said.
The groups’ call for the transition also included a strategic political recommendation for the Presidency, arguing that to ensure stability and continuity, the current administrative structure should see out its term.
“In the spirit of a seamless transition and to avoid a political vacuum, we urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately rename the Minister of the FCT, His Excellency Barr. Nyesom Wike, as the Sole Administrator of the FCT to complete his first tenure, which is already in progress.
“This gesture will allow for the completion of ongoing projects and provide INEC with ample time to prepare for the gubernatorial election, where every eligible Nigerian resident in the FCT can contest and be elected as Governor or Assembly member. The era of political exclusion in Abuja is over,” he stated.
The demand strikes at the heart of a long-standing constitutional and political debate, that since its inception, the FCT has been administered by a Minister appointed by the President, unlike the 36 states which have elected governors.
This has often been a point of agitation for the original inhabitants and residents who argue that the current system denies them full democratic representation.
Dara stated that the Court of Appeal judgement and the recent Supreme Court ruling have provided a fresh legal impetus for their agitation, and they are now mobilising to ensure its enforcement, that the message is clear, the time for a Governor of Abuja is now.
