The Young People’s Initiative for Credible Leadership (YPICL), an advocacy organization, has called upon President Bola Tinubu to consider appointing a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) native as the minister for Abuja, the capital city.
Highlighting the fact that no minister from the FCT has ever been appointed, either from among the native residents or non-natives actively involved in politics within the territory, YPICL emphasized the importance of fairness and inclusivity.
Comr Abdulwahab Ekekhide, the Executive Director of YPICL, expressed a strong belief that by taking this action, President Tinubu would be creating history as the first democratically elected president to prioritize the interests of the FCT since the inception of democracy in 1999.
Ekekhide asserted that democracy should bring benefits to the people, particularly the residents of the FCT. He noted that since the establishment of democracy in Nigeria, the FCT has experienced political marginalization and discrimination across all democratic spheres.
As a civil society organization, YPICL considered this marginalization as a disservice to the people of the FCT and, therefore, called for affirmative action to ensure the representation of the FCT in the Federal Executive Council through the appointment of ministers.
The organization appealed to President Tinubu to exercise his authority and nominate a competent individual from the pool of highly qualified FCT technocrats, political scientists, seasoned administrators, and other qualified professionals who possess voting rights and political influence within the territory.
YPICL emphasized that President Tinubu has the power to overcome any obstacles hindering the appointment of an FCT representative as a minister and suggested that he could select the North Central Ministerial candidate from the FCT.
The organization highlighted the importance of active participation in democracy, emphasizing that the people of the FCT actively engage in Nigerian electoral processes and, as a result, deserve recognition, appreciation, and rewards for their political involvement. They emphasized that politics should ultimately serve the people, and since 1999, the FCT has been deprived of these benefits.
YPICL pointed out that the FCT has been subjected to political marginalization and discrimination, with ministers appointing individuals from other states who lack voting rights and political influence within the FCT to occupy government executive positions. This practice has negatively impacted FCT elections, as these appointees often relocate back to their home states during election periods, leaving the FCT residents without political leaders to turn to.
The organization urged President Tinubu to realize that this political exclusion can be rectified, and they appealed to him to break this pattern by appointing an FCT representative as a minister in the Federal Executive Council.