Pelumi Olajengbesi, a human rights attorney based in Abuja, expressed his view that it would be unjust to the residents of Abuja if the administration of President Bola Tinubu fails to offer a ministerial position to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
During a media discussion on social justice organized by his firm, Law Corridor, Olajengbesi emphasized that the FCT is considered a state and should be treated as such during the 2023 presidential election. He referred to Sections 134 (1) (b) and (2) (b) of the constitution, which include the FCT alongside two-thirds of all states in the country.
Olajengbesi argued that the APC government would be insensitive if it denied the FCT a cabinet position, especially considering that it needed 25% of the vote in the previous presidential election. He called for fairness, justice, and equity, citing the principle of federal character outlined in Section 318 of the 1999 Constitution, which promotes national unity and ensures a sense of belonging for all citizens.
According to Olajengbesi, the composition of the Federal Executive Council should reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need for national unity, as stated in Section 14 (3) and (4) of the constitution. He stressed that the APC-led administration should grant ministerial representation to an indigene of the FCT, just as each of the 36 states has its own representatives in the Federal Executive Council.
Olajengbesi further pointed out that since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, no native of Abuja has been appointed as FCT minister, despite political parties relying on the FCT’s status as a state to secure constitutional votes for winning the presidency.
He also went ahead listing past FCT ministers and their states of origin; the list goes thus:
Ibrahim Bunu – May 1999 to February 2001 (Borno State).
Mohammed Abba Gana – February 2001 to July 2003 (Borno State).
Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai – July 2003 to July 2007 (Kaduna State).
Aliyu Modibbo Umar – July 2007 to October 2008 (Gombe State).
Muhammadu Adamu Aliero – December 2008 to April 2010 (Kebbi State).
Bala Mohammed – April 2010 to May 2015 (Bauchi State).
Mohammed Musa Bello – May 2015 to May 2023 (Adamawa State) alongside his Minister of State, Ramatu Aliyu (Kogi State).
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