By Patrick Idowu
A coalition of indigenous groups and residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has renewed calls for the creation of Abuja as Nigeria’s 37th state, proposing Gwagwalada Area Council as its capital.
The demand was made on Tuesday at the inaugural meeting of the FCT Stakeholders’ Assembly held in Gwagwalada, where speakers described the agitation as a collective struggle against systemic marginalisation, rather than an ethnic conflict.
President of the Assembly, Aliyu Daniel Kwali, said the choice of Gwagwalada was deliberate, describing it as the historical and cultural headquarters of the proposed State of Abuja.
He said the Assembly was united in its resolve to secure statehood for the FCT, stressing that the struggle was rooted in structural and economic exclusion embedded in Nigeria’s political system.
“Our struggle is not against ordinary Nigerians but against constitutional and administrative frameworks that exclude us from meaningful participation,” Kwali said.
He added that the Assembly, a non-profit and non-partisan civil society group, is committed to advancing the civic and constitutional rights of FCT natives and residents, while promoting collaboration with non-indigenous settlers.
Also speaking, Rev. Barr. Aboki Zhawa provided a constitutional backing for the demand, noting that the original inhabitants of the FCT have no other ancestral homeland and deserve equal constitutional rights enjoyed by citizens of other states.
He called for constitutional reforms, including the abolition of the indigene-settler dichotomy, citing Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution, and urged inclusive governance through zoning and citizenship-based belonging.
The meeting marked a renewed push in the long-standing agitation for FCT statehood, now framed around economic justice, constitutional rights, and inclusive citizenship.
