The Young People’s Initiative for Credible Leadership (YPICL), an advocacy organisation, has made a strong appeal to President Bola Tinubu to consider a Federal Capital Territory person for the position of minister for the capital city, Abuja.

The group drew the president’s attention to the fact that since the creation of the FCT, a minister has never been appointed from amongst the natives or non-natives practising politics in the Territory, especially those that have voting rights and political influence therein.

The Group’s Executive Director, Comr Abdulwahab Ekekhide in a statement has a strong conviction that if Tinubu can do this, he will be making history as the first democratically elected president to be so fair to the city since the return of democracy in 1999.

According to him, democracy must benefit the people which in this case are the people of the FCT.

“Since the advent of Democracy in Nigeria in 1999, the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) has been politically marginalised and discriminated against in all democratic ramifications.

“As Civil Society, we see this as a national disservice to the people of FCT, hence we call for an affirmative action for FCT in the appointment of Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We believe that the people of FCT deserve to be represented in the Federal Executive Council as cabinet member(s)

“We want to use this medium to appeal to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to use his powers to nominate a competent person from amongst the rich poll of FCT technocrats, political scientists, politicians, seasoned administrators and a host of other very qualified persons who have voting rights and political influence in the Territory as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as affirmative action for inclusiveness.

“Mr President can break any encumbrances militating against the appointment of an FCT person as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by invoking his powers to select the North Central Ministerial candidate from the FCT.

“Democracy is all about participation and the people of FCT are active participants in the Nigerian electoral processes, hence deserve recognition, appreciation and reward for their active participation in the politics of Nigeria as the essence of politics is for benefit to the people which FCT has been denied since 1999.

“The FCT is politically marginalised and discriminated against to the extent that when a Minister is appointed, he/she in turn imports persons from other States who do not vote or have political influence in the FCT to occupy government executive positions.

“For example, the previous ministers who served in that capacity were also appointing Mandate Secretaries and other government appointees thereby boycotting the natives and non-natives that have voting rights and political influence.

“Oftentimes, during electioneering periods, these appointees would also relocate back to their various States of origin where they have voting and political influence leaving the people of FCT with no political leaders to turn to which has always affected the outcomes of FCT elections negatively because the people are not politically empowered.

“We want Mr President to know that this political jinx can be broken and history beckons on him to break it by appointing an FCT person into the Federal Executive Council as a Minister,” he appealed. (Daily Sun)

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