The Accord senatorial candidate for the Federal Capital Territory in the 2027 elections, Comrade Ezikel Musa Dalhatu, has pledged to sponsor legislation aimed at protecting both indigenous communities and residents of the territory if elected.
Dalhatu made the commitment while speaking at the party’s affirmation stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, where he lamented the absence of a comprehensive legal framework specifically designed to safeguard the interests and rights of FCT indigenes and residents over the past five decades.
According to him, the lack of adequate legal protection has contributed to the continued demolition of houses belonging to indigenous communities and the acquisition of their ancestral lands, often leaving affected families displaced without appropriate alternatives or compensation from the government.
“For the past 50 years, there has been no concrete law protecting the indigenous people and other residents of FCT. And let me tell you for free, if you protect the indigenous communities, you are also protecting the residents because they live together with the natives,” he said.
The Accord candidate said that, upon election, he would work with other members of the Senate to introduce and support legislation that would provide stronger protection for the rights and interests of people living in the FCT.
Beyond legislation, Dalhatu promised to pursue empowerment programmes for youths and women across the six area councils of the territory. He said the initiatives would focus particularly on vulnerable residents, while skills acquisition programmes would be prioritised to promote economic independence and self-reliance.
He also pledged to seek improvements in the FCT’s primary education system, particularly by addressing the poor condition of school facilities. He said his administration would work towards ending situations in which pupils are forced to learn while sitting on bare floors in dilapidated classrooms.
Dalhatu further stressed that his ambition to represent the FCT in the Senate was not driven by a desire for confrontation or political rivalry. Rather, he said he intended to work with relevant stakeholders to attract meaningful development and ensure that residents of the territory benefit from democratic governance.
He maintained that collaboration among political, traditional and community stakeholders would be essential to addressing the challenges confronting the FCT and delivering tangible dividends of democracy to its people.
