By Adamu Abdullahi
Imo, Gombe, Zamfara, Kogi, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Kano, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were all exempted from the list of thirty-five (35) non-career ambassadors sent to the Senate by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for screening and confirmation.
Natives of the Federal Capital Territory have condemned the total absence of an Abuja indigene from the ambassadorial nominees’ list. They said the omission reflects continued marginalisation of the original inhabitants of the FCT.
With the seat of power located in Abuja and multiple federal decisions directly affecting the territory, stakeholders argued that FCT natives deserve fair representation—not just in ambassadorial postings but in all major political appointments.
Community leaders, activists, and youth groups stated that their renewed outcry goes beyond political appointments; it is about visibility, recognition, and respect for the identity of the FCT’s indigenous population.
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Civil society organisations and concerned stakeholders, during an emergency meeting, questioned what offence the FCT natives may have committed to warrant such consistent marginalisation by the federal government.
As the criticism grows, the FCT public awaits an official response from the Presidency, hoping their concerns will be addressed and the reasons for excluding Abuja indigenes clarified.
The natives described the repeated omission as an attempt to relegate Abuja’s indigenous people to “second-class citizens in their own land.” They asked: “What have we done to President Tinubu to deserve this level of neglect?”
They also warned that continued exclusion poses a political risk for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the FCT. According to them, denying FCT natives ambassadorial slots and other political appointments amounts to “a time bomb waiting to explode,” as it could provoke widespread anger among the indigenous communities.
They further noted that the FCT has statutory representation in the Federal Character Commission (FCC) and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
Section 299 of the 1999 Constitution, they said, clearly recognises the FCT as being treated “as a state” for administrative and political purposes. They argued that the Federal Character Act of 1997 and the 1999 Constitution mandate equitable inclusion of all states and the FCT in federal appointments.
“The population of the FCT is even larger than some states such as Ebonyi and Bayelsa, yet those states have three senators each and several members of the House of Representatives,” they added.
The President of OIAYEO called on the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, to rise to the challenge and defend the political rights of the FCT as the territory he governs. He said the Minister cannot remain silent while critical appointments are made without input from the FCT administration.
