By Sarah NEGEDU
Indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory have called on President Bola Tinubu to formally declare the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, as Sole Administrator of Abuja to complete what they describe as his “first tenure” ahead of an eventual governorship election in the territory.
The demand, which they described as a necessary political transition step, was made under the banner of the FCT Senior Citizens Forum, a coalition of indigenous groups and long-term residents of the nation’s capital.
The group said naming Wike as Sole Administrator would ensure continuity in governance while providing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, adequate time to prepare for a future democratic transition.
Speaking at a press briefing over the weekend, the forum’s coordinator, Elder Danjuma Dara, said the move was crucial to avoid a political vacuum and allow ongoing development projects to be completed without disruption.
Reading from a prepared text titled “Fulfilling the Democratic Status of Abuja”, Dara said, “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.”
Dara explained that the forum’s position was anchored on the need to bridge the democratic gap that has long existed in the administration of the FCT.
He argued that Wike, having already set a clear development agenda in the capital, should be allowed to complete his current administrative term before Abuja transitions to a full elective system.
He said the group was not opposed to a governorship election in the FCT but maintained that such a major political shift should be preceded by institutional groundwork, voter education, and constitutional clarity.
According to him, retaining the current administrative structure under Wike would guarantee stability during this period of transition.
“We call on Bar. Ojo 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,” he said.
The forum insisted that its call was consistent with constitutional principles and the recent judicial interpretation of the FCT’s political status. It cited the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Section 299 of the 1999 Constitution, which, according to them, affirms that the FCT should be treated as a state within the federation.
Recall that the Supreme Court of Nigeria had in 2023 upheld the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT, which ruled that Abuja 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 winner of an election.
The verdict, delivered by Justice John Okoro, stated that Section 299 of the Constitution expressly provides that the Federal Capital Territory should be treated as one of the states of the federation for the purpose of returning a presidential candidate as duly elected.
Justice Okoro explained that this means a presidential candidate who polls 25 percent of the votes in two-thirds of the states of the federation, FCT inclusive, shall be deemed duly elected even if he or she fails to secure 25 percent of the votes cast in the FCT.
The group said the judgment, though delivered in the context of the presidential election, reaffirmed the constitutional standing of the FCT as a state and that it was now time for the federal government and INEC to actualise that recognition by granting Abuja residents the right to elect their own governor and state assembly.
Elder Dara declared that the judicial interpretation had emboldened their call for full democratic representation.
“The judgment of the Supreme Court 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,” he stated.
Since its creation, the FCT has been administered by a minister appointed by the President, unlike the 36 states which have elected governors and assemblies.
