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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Four indigenous ethnic groups in FCT, namely Gwandara, Gede, Bassa and Koro, have threatened to square up to fight against the Gbagy people in FCT over their continuous verbal and physical attacks, as well as the harassment of the Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abdullahi Adamu Candido.
The four ethnic groups were unhappy that Gbagy people have singled out Candido for physical and emotional attacks since the recent court judgement that extended the tenure of the six Area Council Chairmen in FCT by one year.
Leader of the aggrieved four ethnic groups, Tanko Adamu Mohammed, at a press conference in Abuja, on Monday, warned the Gbagy people to desist from their actions and wait for the Court to complete its process on the matter of tenure extension for the six Area Council Chairmen in FCT.
He said: “You are quite aware of the legal fireworks going on now about the issue of tenure elongation immediately after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Electoral Act 2022. Five Councillors from various Councils approached FCT High Court to seek for interpretation of section 108 (1) of the Electoral Act to know when to commence the four years tenure for Local Council Chairmen and Councillors, and the court ruled accordingly that the six Area Council Chairmen and the Councillors of the FCT shall not stand dissolved on May 19th, 2022 arising from the position of section 108 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, but on May 29th 2023.
“In response, the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello, cancelled the planned inauguration of the newly elected Chairmen and Councillors. Afterwards, the newly elected Chairmen and Councillors, particularly those in AMAC took the law into their hands and began the mobilisation of their ethnic group, the Gbagis, to intimidate and protest both the Court judgement and the decision of the FCTA authorities, demanding to be sworn in.
“Much as we are not against any person or group of people demanding their rights or seeking justice, we simply ask that they apply caution and carry out their demand in a civil manner, devoid of public disturbances. Surprisingly, the Gbagis had coloured the struggle as indigenous people’s struggle as if all the ethnic groups in Abuja are part of their inordinate demand.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we want to state clearly that we the other ethnic groups in Abuja are not part of this ‘senseless’ protests by Gbagis on the streets of Abuja. We the other ethnic groups are patiently following the events as they unfold from the courts, and whatever happens, we must give peace a chance, not only for us the indigenes but for other Nigerians to go about their daily activities without hindrances.
“They have made it look like only in AMAC that the tenure elongation affected. The whole issue is not about AMAC or APC as a political party. It is an issue that involved all the six Area Councils in the territory, and also all the political parties. Moreover, in the course of litigation, the two major parties, APC and PDP, were involved. PDP councillors were among parties as claimants.
“We wonder why they have to conclude that it was only AMAC Chairman, Abdullahi Candido, that conceived the plot to elongate the tenure of the FCT Area Councils’ Chairmen and Councillors.”
He condemned the continued attack on the personality of the AMAC Chairman describing it as a deliberate plot to tarnish the good image that Candido has built in the last six years in office as the Chairman of AMAC.
“We want to make it abundantly clear that we will no longer tolerate the continued attack on his person again. And we have resolved to declare it enough is enough in this show of shame by the Gbagis in their intimidation and attack on Candido. Any further attempt to test our will in this regard will be restricted,” he warned.
