FCT Politics: Wike Predicts Kingibe's 2027 Senate Defeat
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has predicted that Senator Ireti Kingibe will not return to the Senate in 2027, alleging she has "no project to show" for her tenure, following a recent media parley in Abuja on Monday.
Senator Kingibe, who was elected in 2023 on the Labour Party (LP) platform, currently represents the FCT in Nigeria's upper legislative chamber. This latest pronouncement from Wike reiterates a claim he first made in 2024, when he vowed the senator would not secure re-election.
Kingibe's Criticisms and Counter-Allegations
Recently, Senator Kingibe openly criticised Wike, stating that he had failed to respond to her numerous letters and messages concerning the escalating insecurity within Abuja. She further alleged that the Minister did not genuinely have the interests of the FCT at heart, highlighting that FCT residents are grappling with challenges such as water scarcity, among other pressing issues.
This is not the first instance of public disagreement between the Senator and the Minister. In 2024, Ireti Kingibe declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made a "critical political error" by appointing Nyesom Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). She then asserted that Wike’s leadership style had fostered a climate of disregard for the institutions and legal frameworks governing the territory.
Wike's Rebuttal and Challenge
Kingibe had previously stated, “The primary thing is that the minister doesn’t obey the rule of law. He is autocratic. He doesn’t follow any rules or any laws. And when you try to draw his attention to the fact that governance is based on the rule of law, he doesn’t accept that.”
However, during his media parley in Abuja, Wike restated his conviction about Kingibe's electoral prospects. “I had said it more than one year ago, Senator Ireti, you won’t come back as a senator. That’s why you people don’t like people who tell you the truth. It’s bitter. Let her show one project,” he challenged.
Wike further alleged that Kingibe has been conspicuously absent from the satellite communities within the FCT, areas where a significant portion of the electorate typically turns out to cast their votes.