Natives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the umbrella of Coalition of Abuja Indigenous Association (CAIA) have said they will not vote for President Muhammadu Buhari, during the February 16 presidential election unless he appoints a native as a minister.
The natives stated this during a peaceful protest at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) in Abuja, yesterday.
A large number of protesters, who barricaded the Aso drive linking the back gate to the SGF office, carried placards with different inscriptions, some of which read: ‘PMB forget our votes if we don’t have minister’, ‘It is one year now FG is disregarding court judgment on appointment of FCT indigene as minister’.
The spokesman of the group, Yunusa Ahmadu Yusuf, said they decided to stage the peaceful protest to the office of the SGF because President Muhammadu Buhari has reneged on his promise prior to the 2015 elections at a town hall meeting that he would appoint a native as minister.
He said the natives had always been treated like second class citizens in their ancestral homes, saying it was unfortunate that the change natives of the FCT voted for in 2015 was not what they are getting under the present APC-led administration.
“We have sacrificed so much for Nigeria but today, they have turned us to second class citizens, while such cannot happen in Niger Delta. It is injustice of the highest order to the natives of the FCT, “ he said.
They said they would not vote for the reelection of Buhari, as he failed to fulfill his promise, adding that there was need for the president to accept the court ruling that granted political appointment to natives of the FCT.
The special assistant to the SGF, Ayuba Musa Burma, who addressed the protesters on behalf of the SGF, Mustapha Boss, commended them for the matured manner they held the protest.
He said the SGF was a man of integrity that always listened to people’s demands, assuring them that he would channel their complaint to him. (Daily Trust)
