A civil society group, the Peoples Alliance for Indigenous Rights (PAIR), has said that governance is failing in the nation's capital and called for immediate intervention by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Adolor Asoro, the National Coordinator of the group, in a statement, said, "At present, the FCT is in dire straits. Workers are on strike, and the Minister, rather than engaging them, has dragged them to court. Not long ago, primary schools in the FCT were shut down for over three months because the minister could not resolve the dispute between teachers and area councils, leading to the loss of an academic term for pupils in public schools."

Asoro also said, "Resident doctors called off their strike only recently, while other health workers remain on strike, jeopardising the health of Abuja residents. Furthermore, residents are in serious danger as public taps have been pumping untreated water since November 2025 due to the non-release of funds to the water board.

"Secondary school students have no hope of preparing properly for external exams, as teachers and markers of past exams have not been paid since last year. Health facilities in the FCT are in serious decline, while refuse is taking over major streets due to the non-payment of cleaners.

"The crime rate is at an all-time high, which reflects negatively on the president's global efforts to position Abuja as a destination of choice for meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions," Asoro said.