Natives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have urged President Bola Tinubu to appoint FCT indigenes as commissioners in federal parastatals within the territory in line with the principles of federal character and the constitution.

They emphasized that the inclusion of FCT natives in such positions is critical to upholding the rule of law and ensuring equitable representation, as Abuja is regarded as one of the states in the country.

Danjuma Tanko Dara, an elder statesman and prominent FCT stakeholder, made this call during a press briefing yesterday.

Dara stressed that appointing individuals from outside the FCT to such positions would be a violation of the rights of the indigenous population and contrary to the federal character principle.

He said, "These appointments of Commissioners we are asking for are little appointments that Indigenous people of FCT can boast of at any time, based on the constitution that the present administration used to prove that FCT can be seen as one of the states of Nigeria, and it should operate like other states with full rights should not been taken away like the days of autocratic demon leaders.

"We expect this government to use this opportunity to showcase differences and put its records in the right perspective as enshrined in democracy by not bringing somebody from any other state, who has never stayed in the FCT or contributed to the struggle and impose them on the people of the FCT."

He further appealed to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, legislators, members of the Judiciary to work by the rule of law by ensuring that only a native of FCT is given the mandate to hold the position of FCT Commissioner for Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).