A group of aggrieved indigenous residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) staged a protest at the main entrance of the National Assembly complex on Tuesday, expressing strong dissatisfaction over what they described as deliberate marginalization in the composition of the newly formed North Central Development Commission (NCDC).
The demonstrators blocked access to the legislative building, demanding the immediate reversal of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s nomination of Solomon Adodo, a native of Benue State, as the FCT representative on the commission’s governing board. According to the protesters, Adodo’s appointment overlooks qualified indigenes of the FCT, thereby undermining their constitutional right to representation and equitable inclusion in federal decision-making.
Elder Danjuma Tanko Dara, who spoke on behalf of the FCT Senior Citizens Forum, criticized the nomination, saying it “disregards the identity and developmental needs of the FCT’s original inhabitants.”
He called on the federal government to recognize the unique socio-political challenges facing the territory and to prioritize indigenous voices in matters directly affecting them.
The North Central Development Commission was established by a bill passed by the Senate in July 2024, aimed at addressing the infrastructural and socio-economic deficits in Nigeria’s North Central region. However, President Tinubu is yet to assent to the bill, further fueling tension over the region’s exclusion from the 2025 federal budget allocations.While the federal government earmarked over N2.4 trillion for five existing regional development commissions, the North Central region — including the FCT — was notably omitted.
This exclusion has drawn criticism from political stakeholders and civil society groups across the region.Peter Obi, Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, also condemned the omission, stating that “development must be inclusive and devoid of regional bias.” Similarly, the North Central APC Forum described the move as a betrayal of the region’s interests and a continuation of longstanding neglect.
Tuesday’s protest adds to growing calls for fairness and inclusion in governance, especially from FCT natives who have historically decried political sidelining. The protesters vowed to sustain their agitation until justice is served and indigenous people of the FCT are fairly represented in national affairs.
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