Speaker Abbas urged to jettison bill on indigeneship

Lagos indigenes, under the umbrella body of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, have called on the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, to jettison a new Bill seeking to alter existing indigeneship rights as contained in the 1999 Constitution, warning that doing so had potential to incite ethnic conflict across the country.

The umbrella body for Lagos indigenes made the call in an open letter, titled: “Rejection of the proposed Federal Bill on Indigenous Rights due to its potential to incite ethnic conflict,” dated 2nd April 2025 and addressed to the House of Representatives Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abbas, while also drawing the attention of the 360- member parliament to same issue.

The group of indigenes, in a letter jointly signed by its Alternate Chairman, Board of Trustees, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd); President, Mr. Miftau Bolaji Are and Secretary General, Mr. Taofeeq Yomi Tokosi, maintained its opposition to the Bill pointedly clear, urging that it should be dropped in the interest of the nation, peace, unity and security of its good people.

De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, a socio-cultural organization, while acknowledging the intention of the proponent of the Bill, Hon. Kalu Okezie, in seeking to grant Indigenous rights to individuals who had resided in a particular location for 10 years or had been married to an Indigenous person for the same duration, warned that the Bill if passed into law “could lead to widespread ethnic tensions, communal violence, and conflicts among various groups.”

This was just as it noted that the existing legal framework already provides for the recognition and protection of indigenous rights in Nigeria, as enshrined in Sections 13 and 14 of the Constitution and reinforced by the Federal Character Commission Act.

Besides, it noted that the Federal Character Commission Act had not been fully implemented, meaning that indigenous communities have yet to fully enjoy their rights, further cautioning that introducing legislation “that dilutes these rights could have serious consequences, including the marginalization of indigenous groups and increased friction among communities.”

“Globally, nations such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have enacted laws that uphold the distinct rights of indigenous peoples, ensuring their access to self-determination, cultural preservation, and governance. At no time have these countries equated indigenous rights with residency-based citizenship. Nigeria must not deviate from this principle, as doing so could lead to unintended social and political turmoil,” the group of indigenes said.

De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, therefore, called on the Lagos State Caucus in the National Assembly to firmly reject this Bill, declaring that the proposal was inconsistent with principles of natural justice, equity, and good conscience, just as it further warned that its enactment could incite social unrest similar to the xenophobic conflicts witnessed in South Africa.

The group, while issuing the warning, noted that Lagos State, like other Indigenous territories, had long maintained a delicate balance of peace and cultural identity, saying it was, therefore, “imperative that this harmony is preserved, and no policy should be introduced that could undermine the historical and legal rights of its indigenous people.”

“In light of these concerns, we urge the Lagos State Caucus in the National Assembly to firmly reject this Bill. The proposal is inconsistent with principles of natural justice, equity, and good conscience. Its enactment could incite social unrest similar to the xenophobic conflicts witnessed in South Africa.

“Lagos State, like other indigenous territories, has long maintained a delicate balance of peace and cultural identity. It is imperative that this harmony is preserved, and no policy should be introduced that could undermine the historical and legal rights of its indigenous people.

“Rt. Hon Speaker sir, it will be noted that this noble organization had earlier submitted a Memorandum on Indigeneship/Residency/Citizenship dated April 2024 and which up till today we received no invite to defend our position by the Federal House of Representatives but what we later saw is that our position was unattended to while the House is trying to scrap or deny us our customary rights by stripping us of our rights to indigeneship.

“We have full confidence in your leadership and commitment to upholding the interests of Lagos indigenes. We urge you to take a firm stance against this bill and protect the historical and constitutional rights of indigenous communities in Lagos and across Nigeria,” the group stated.