FCT indigenes protest exclusion from ambassadorial list

File: FCT city gate

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The Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA) has accused the Presidency of sidelining the Federal Capital Territory in the three batches of ambassadorial nominations recently transmitted to the Senate, describing the omission as “unfair, unjust, and a fresh attempt to marginalise Abuja indigenes.”

In a statement issued on Tuesday by its President, Danladi Jeji, the group criticised presidential aides for failing to uphold the federal character principle during the selection process, noting that the FCT did not feature in either the career or non-career ambassadorial lists.

“It is disheartening that the presidential aides did not handle the selection process well to reflect the federal character principle.

“We observed that the FCT, Abuja, was neither represented in the non-career list nor the career list. To say the least, this is unfair, unjust, and a further attempt to marginalise the most marginalised segment of the Nigerian federation,” Jeji said.

PUNCH Online reports that President Bola Tinubu, over the past two weeks, transmitted the names of 68 nominees — comprising 34 career and 34 non-career ambassadors — to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

Among those nominated were a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu; a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode; a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri; and former Abia State Governor and retired naval chief, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.

The group argued that Section 299 of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates that the FCT be treated “as one of the states of the federation,” had once again been ignored, despite being the same provision relied upon by the ruling party during post-election litigation following the 2023 presidential poll.

OIDA also drew attention to what it described as a recurring pattern of exclusion, recalling that the FCT was the only component of the North Central Development Commission without representation on the Commission’s board.

Jeji noted that even when the association raised the issue at the time, Benue State retained multiple seats while Abuja was left out entirely.

“In the interest of equity and fairness, and to give the indigenes of Abuja a sense of belonging, we call on the President to, as a matter of urgency, nominate non-career and career ambassadors from the FCT.

“The indigenes of Abuja are hardworking, competent, and have sons and daughters with the right skills to fill the slots,” the statement said.

Jeji appealed to President Tinubu to honour the constitutional provision and correct what he described as a glaring oversight, saying FCT residents were waiting for the President to demonstrate the same commitment to Section 299 that the Supreme Court displayed when interpreting it during the post-election cases.

“Just as the Supreme Court gave life to the wisdom of Section 299 — and eventually consolidated your electoral victory — FCT indigenes are passionately waiting for you to give life to that same section by nominating qualified indigenes as ambassadors,” he said.

Nathaniel has for the past year covered civil societies, religion, metro and recently the women's ministry as correspondent with Punch Newspapers

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