ABUJA: THE BETRAYED CAPITAL-UNIABUJA WILL NEVER FORGET

As Washington is to America, as London is to Britain, and as Paris is to France, so is Abuja to Nigeria. Yet, unlike those capitals that symbolize strength, vision, and governance, Abuja has become a tragic shadow of itself in the hands of leaders without ideas, foresight, or conscience.

Hon. Christopher Maikalangu and the APC-led administration have turned both AMAC and Gwagwalada into fields of nonentity—territories where the people’s dreams are buried and where governance has been reduced to a competition of selfish pockets.

For far too long, the council has been run by visionless leaders who come not with the spirit of service, but with the greed of conquerors. Cicero once said, “The welfare of the people is the highest law.” But here in the Federal Capital Territory, the so-called leaders seem to have rewritten this maxim: “The welfare of the leaders is the highest law.”

The University of Abuja students cannot remain silent anymore. History teaches us that silence in the face of oppression is complicity. As the Athenians once proclaimed, “The secret to freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret to tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.” And for too long, they have tried to keep us ignorant—using us, dumping us, neglecting us. But the students will rise, not with violence, but with knowledge, awareness, and their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs).

1. Abu Giri’s unconstitutional takeover of recreational lands in Gwagwalada, turning centres of youth engagement into mere beer parlours.

2. The FCT Minister’s encroachment into our school lands, attempting to snatch the very space meant for future generations.

3. The neglect of flood-affected students, abandoned miles away from the comfort of those who swore to protect them.

Which of these wounds shall we mention and leave any? Rome’s great historian Tacitus once warned, “The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.” And indeed, what we see today is an avalanche of decrees and propaganda, but no real governance, no real service.

Now, they come again with sweetened words, polished promises, and deceptive smiles, thinking the students can once again be brainwashed. But they forget: “You can enslave a man’s body, but not his mind.”

This time, our votes will speak louder than their lies. This time, the ballot will be our weapon and the PVC our shield.

Students and alumni of the University of Abuja, the future belongs to those who refuse to be deceived. Rise, take your stand, get your PVC, and let us together work them out of office—without violence, without bloodshed, but with the power of democracy.

For in the words of Pericles, “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you.”