Abuja indigenes reject North

The Federal Capital Territory indigenes have stated that they will not be part of the Arewa Republic if Nigeria breaks up.

The Abuja natives said they would rather seek an independent status by asking the United Nations to govern the territory through a transitional arrangement until it could become an autonomous city state with socio-political and economic sovereignty.

The President of the Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja, Pastor Danladi Jeji, who said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja, however, declared support for Nigeria and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We urge more peace and unity at the moment but should the Nigerian federation be dissolved, we shall have no choice but to seek an independent status from the northern or southern groups agitating for separate countries at the moment.

 “Like Kosovo, we shall seek the United Nations’ administrative, civil and military support to declare an autonomous status of self-government,” the statement signed by OIDA Media Adviser, Sumner Sambo, stated.

It warned any region or individuals hoping to annex or forcefully claim Abuja in the case of the disintegration of Nigeria to discard such notions.

The group canvassed devolution of powers to the FCT and state governments “as the centre is too unwieldy.”