Abuja inhabitants restate call for mayoral status in FCT

The Abuja Original Inhabitant Youths Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO) has intensified the agitation for the nation’s capital to be given mayoral status in order to ensure inclusive governance.


The youth organisation decried what it observed as the lack of community participation in the decision making process by the indigenes in the FCT, a case which puts them at a disadvantage in the scheme of things.
The group said the indigenes have decided to change the narrative and rewrite history by organising what they call Community Mayoral Election to identify and elect a leader as Mayor of the FCT who will act as the voice of the people in all areas of socio-cultural and economic development.


Making this assertion Tuesday in Abuja at a press conference, Secretary General of the organisation, Yahuza Abubakar said Abuja deserves a leadership that will reflect the mind of the young, ambitious, and scrappy nature of its growing electorate.
He explained that the expected Mayor of FCT would be a non-partisan office where, despite individual party affiliations, candidates are not selected by any group or represented by any political party on the ballot paper.
Abubakar noted that Section 301 of the Nigerian Constitution made the president as governor of the FCT and the vice president, deputy governor and also empowers the president to appoint a minister who exercises powers delegated by the president since 1976, saying that successive presidents have utilised this power, notwithstanding its inherent flaws.
“Abuja’s leaders have owed their mandate to the President, not to the people. We have witnessed celebrated Nigerian governors drawing support for policies, taking direction from their electorate, except in the FCT.


“The Minister owes her mandate to the President; the citizens of the state have little influence on policy concerning community security, socio-economic and political developments or evolvement”, he stated.
He explained that FCT community mayor will be elected and recommended to the minister for appointment in order to enhance citizens – government relationship.
“The process of the election into the office of Mayor of FCT will be indirect election, and will be conducted by carefully selected 20 delegates by community chiefs and emirs representing the six area councils which include: Abaji, Kuje, Kwali, Gwagwalada, Bwari and AMAC,” the group stated.

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