2023: Shun Partisan Politics, FCTA Warns Traditional Rulers 

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has charged the 17 graded chiefs and other district heads to stay away from partisan politics in the 2023 general elections.

The Mandate Secretary Area Councils Services Secretariat, Hon. Ibrahim Abubakar Dantsoho, issued the warning at a meeting with all graded chiefs, which was held at the directive of the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu.

Dantsoho said the warning followed alleged comments from some traditional rulers.

He charged traditional rulers to be fathers to all candidates aspiring for political offices, stressing that as custodians of traditional values and norms, they should stay away from partisan politics and not use their God’s given position to overtly or covertly campaign for any political party.

He said that although the chiefs have the constitutional rights to support any party of their choice, they are not expected to show it openly in view of their fatherly role in the society.

He also tasked traditional rulers to beef up security in their respective domains, just as he acknowledged pockets of security challenges in some selected chiefdoms.

He said: “So many things have been happening in the FCT rural areas and under your jurisdictions. We need to get feedbacks so as to know the areas where we can come in.

“I know that issues of security are not an issue that only one or two persons seat to discuss considering the fact that the chiefdoms share borders and boundaries, and as such there is need for expanded round table discussions.” 

The mandate secretary assured the traditional rulers that the administration was doing everything possible to upgrade those who deserved to be upgraded, adding that plans are on top gear to provide utility vehicles to some of the graded chiefs in hard to reach communities.

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