By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: A political controversy in Kuje Area Council of the nation’s capital has ballooned into a fresh firestorm, as indigenous residents of the Federal Capital Territory FCT accused global rights body, Amnesty International, of selective outrage, questioning why it intervened in a local political dispute while staying silent for years on demolitions, displacement and marginalisation affecting the territory’s original inhabitants.
The accusation was made by the Abuja Original Inhabitants Youths Empowerment Organisation AOIYEO through its Executive Director, Commandant Isaac David, at a news conference in Abuja convened in response to Amnesty International’s reaction to a viral video purportedly showing the Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Hon. Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, making threatening political remarks.
The Kuje council chairman had reportedly been heard in the video saying, “It’s either you are doing APC or leave the Area Council,” a statement that has generated controversy and attracted outrage from Nigerians.
David said AOIYEO was not defending any alleged threat by the council chairman, but was troubled by what he called Amnesty International’s selective intervention in human rights issues affecting FCT residents. “Amnesty International is a globally respected organisation. The weight and credibility of that name carries the expectation of focus on systemic injustices, human rights violations, freedom from discrimination, dignity of original inhabitants and political and administrative marginalisation,” he said.
He argued that the struggles of indigenous people were not isolated incidents but part of a longstanding pattern affecting communities across the territory’s 858 settlements, and expressed disappointment that the organisation had never spoken up for them. “It is therefore disappointing that in all these years, we have not seen Amnesty International speak up for the indigenous people of the FCT on issues of land rights, right to life, exclusion and marginalisation by the Federal Government,” he said.
David repeatedly pressed the question of the organisation’s absence from earlier controversies involving indigenous residents, citing alleged demolitions of indigenous homes, displacement without adequate compensation, and protests over land and other rights that he said never attracted comparable attentrigh.
He noted that residents had, over the years, raised concerns about their rights to land, property, security and political participation without receiving what he considered adequate support from international rights organisations.
David warned that the sudden intervention in a local political dispute risked creating the impression that Amnesty International was shifting focus away from more fundamental human rights questions, stressing that AOIYEO wanted human rights advocacy to be consistent and impartial rather than justifying the Kuje chairman’s alleged remarks.
David also alleged, without providing evidence, that Amnesty International’s intervention could worsen relations between indigenous communities and other residents of the FCT, and suggested the organisation may have been drawn by the attention the controversy generated on social media.
He urged the organisation to bring the same energy to what AOIYEO considers violations of indigenous rights.
Turning to the question of consistency, David referenced former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s description of the 2007 election as a “do or die” affair, as well as comments attributed to traditional ruler in Lagos during the 2015 elections about throwing a political opponent into the lagoon. “Where was Amnesty International when these statements were made?” he asked, arguing that human rights organisations should not apply different standards depending on the political personalities involved.
“In the aspect of insecurity, demolition of indigenous houses and marginalisation of the original people of the FCT, they have never for one day issued a press release condemning it or advising the government to be accountable for oppressing indigenous peoples,” he alleged, insisting that indigenous residents deserved sustained advocacy over their rights to land, property, security, political participation and inclusion in decisions affecting their communities.
Aside his criticism of Amnesty International, David warned that the conduct of political leaders shapes the behaviour of younger politicians who often learn from the examples set by those in positions of authority.
“We respectfully urge Amnesty International to redirect its attention to the collective and long-standing interests of indigenous peoples of the FCT. That is where your voice is most needed, and where justice has been delayed the longest. Please, turn your energy to the collective struggle of indigenous people of the FCT. That is where justice is owed. That is where your voice will mean the most”, he stated.
He maintained that political disagreements should be settled through democratic processes and dialogue, stressing that residents must be free to support political parties of their choice without intimidation, and urged all stakeholders to ensure that the Kuje controversy did not deepen political divisions or damage peaceful coexistence between indigenous communities and other residents of the FCT.
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