The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Thursday, called for caution over a bill seeking to confer indigene-ship on a person who has stayed in a particular place for upward of ten years “to avoid the possibility of aggravating ethnic tension and violence”.

The House of Representatives recently passed for a second reading, some bills for the amendments of certain sections of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended).

One of the bills that was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Okezie Kalu and six other lawmakers, undergone a second reading on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.

The Indigenes Status Bill, seeks to grant indigenous status and rights on anyone who has lived in a particular area for ten years or on a woman who is married to an indigene of the area.

Also on Tuesday this week (April 1, 2025), the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, advocated for the elimination of the policy that tends to draw a distinction between indigenes and non-indigenes in any part of the Nigeria.

He made the call when he paid the Id-el-Fitr Sallah homage to Governor Aliyu of Sokoto State in Sokoto. His Eminence went further to urge states’ governors in Nigeria to emulate Governor Ahmed Aliyu by abolishing the non-indigene status in their respective states ‘in the interest of the national cohesion’.

The Indigene Status Bill seeks to alter relevant sections of the Constitution to guarantee indigene status to a person by reason of birth or continuous residence for a period of not less than ten years or by reason of marriage.

Reacting in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere kicked against the proposal.

According to Afenifere, in modern times, there are basically four categories of residents in any particular state or country.

“They are indigenes otherwise called natives, citizens, residents and visitors. Ordinarily, anyone staying in a country is a resident of that country while other criteria would then determine whether he or she is a visitor, resident, citizen or indigene.

“A person who came in originally as a visitor can gain permanent residence status after meeting certain conditions. The permanent resident may become a citizen after meeting specific criteria.

“However, indigene-ship is restricted to people with ancestral, cultural, autochthonous and historical roots to the soil on which they dwell.

“In various parts of the world, indigeneity is tied to ancestry, historical connection to the land, language, customs and cultural heritage” Afenifere spokesman submitted.”

Afenifere is of the opinion that the motive behind the push for indigeneship could flow from hegemonic desire, territorial expansion, changing status of the land, ecology and the desire for power and influence.

“Whatever was the motive for the bill, it must not be pursued at the expense of natives of a given area and certainly not at the risk of igniting ethnic clashes that will claim lives and properties”.

The group recalled that up till today, clashes are occurring in various parts of the country between indigenes and settlers “mainly because those who are supposed to take necessary actions failed to do so due to their own personal biases and dishonesty”.

Afenifere spokesman concluded by calling on the National Assembly not to pass the said bill “but concentrate efforts at restructuring the country in such a way that every part would have a sense of belonging and be in a position to determine its own affairs as much as possible within a truly federal Nigeria nation.” (The Guardian)