Group berates ex-gov Jang for opposing indigeneship for Hausa-Fulani 

Plateau State chapter of the Kautal Pulaaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria, KPFAN, has berated former Governor Jonah David Jang over his opposition to a recent court ruling granting indigeneship to Hausa residents in Jos North Local Government Area based on their birth and long-term stay in the state.

While reacting to the ruling in a statement on Saturday, Jang had said the judgment would come with serious implications for the state’s identity, cultural heritage, and indigenous rights.

The former governor stated that debates surrounding citizenship, residency, and indigenship in the state have remained at the center of political and social discussions for decades, and wondered why the court should hastily decide on a matter that could further heighten tension.

He argued that altering the existing framework could create tensions and undermine the rights of groups that have traditionally been recognized as indigenous to the state.

But the Fulani group, in a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Haruna Idris Bayero, countered the elder statesman, describing his opposition to the ruling as not only unfortunate but dangerous to the unity of the people and the fragile peace in the state.

Bayero said Jang’s stance negates the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution which guarantees every citizen equal rights and prohibits discrimination on grounds of ethnicity, place of origin, or religion.

“The Kautal Pulaaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria (KPFAN) views with utter dismay and disappointment the recent remarks by former Plateau State Governor, Senator Jonah David Jang, opposing the issuance of indigene certificates to Hausa/Fulani residents in Plateau State,” the statement said.

Continuing, Bayero said:

“His position is not only unfortunate but also a dangerous relic of ethnic exclusivism that contradicts the clear provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended).

“Senator Jang’s stance flies in the face of Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of ethnicity, place of origin, or religion. 

“Every Nigerian citizen, including Hausa/Fulani families who have lived in Plateau State for generations—some for over a century- has the right to be recognized as bona fide citizens of the state where they reside, contribute, and pay taxes. Citizenship is not a privilege to be dispensed based on parochial loyalties.

“The indigene-settler dichotomy has been weaponized over the years to marginalize fellow Nigerians. Many Hausa/Fulani communities in Plateau were born there, have their ancestral graves there, and have contributed immensely to the economy, security, and cultural life of the state. Denying them certificates simply because their great-grandparents migrated before the creation of the state is a historical injustice.

“It is no longer news that Plateau State has witnessed recurring cycles of violence. Our association firmly believes that the refusal of successive Plateau leaders, including Senator Jang, to embrace justice and equality for all citizens—irrespective of ethnic background—has been the kindling for repeated conflicts. 

“When a section of society is permanently designated as “non-indigenes” despite decades of residence, you create second-class citizens who are vulnerable to exclusion, dispossession, and violence. That is the real recipe for crisis.

“In the 21st century, no modern society advances by locking out fellow citizens from certificates of belonging. Jang’s logic, if applied universally, would unravel the Nigerian federation. We call on him to use his advanced age and experience to champion inclusion, not exclusion. The Fulani are not strangers in Plateau; they are neighbours, farmers, herders, traders, and in many cases, indigenous people whose history predates the 1967 creation of Plateau State.

“We call on the Plateau State government to disregard Senator Jang’s retrogressive advice and instead move toward a unified residency-and-indigeneity framework that respects the Nigerian Constitution. No citizen should be denied state-level rights—access to employment, education, or political participation—because of their ethnic surname.

“Senator Jang’s statement is a disservice to national unity and a direct affront to the Hausa/Fulani communities who have called Plateau their home for generations. 

“The Kautal Pulaaku Fulbe Association will continue to resist all forms of discriminatory policies and will support legal action if necessary. We urge Plateau leaders to learn from history: peace comes from justice, not from perpetual exclusion.”