Senator claims Wike is taking loans without National Assembly's go-ahead

The senator for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe, has accused the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, of taking loans without the National Assembly’s approval, which is required by law.

Ms Kingibe, who belongs to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), shared this claim in a statement on Thursday.

This is not the first time she has accused Mr Wike of getting loans for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) without National Assembly’s permission.

In August, Ms Kingibe made a similar claim during her appearance on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm.

Mr Wike has denied these accusations.

On Tuesday, the minister said Ms Kingibe did not understand how government borrowing works. He insisted that loans cannot be taken without the National Assembly’s approval.

“There is no way you can go and take a loan without the approval of the National Assembly. If you want to take a loan, you will include it in the budget and state that, in this aspect of the budget, the government will take out a loan,” he said.

Mr Wike also claimed that Ms Kingibe would not return to the Senate after the 2027 election. He said the people in the FCT have decided to support former senator Philip Aduda.

“I don’t want to comment about her. She is already packing her things out. The people of the FCT have made their choice. They are going to support President Tinubu and Philip Aduda for Senate,” he said.

In her statement on Thursday, Ms Kingibe challenged Mr Wike to show proof of the National Assembly’s approval for the loans he mentioned.

“As for not getting approval for the loans, I dare the FCT Minister to show the people of the FCT, and all, who have asked, the Votes and Proceedings of the day the approval was given. I cannot speak for the House of Representatives, but I know that it was NEVER brought before the Senate. The President, from whom the minister derives his powers, has always sought approval for ALL loans from the Senate.

“No Minister, no matter how powerful, is above the law. No public office holder is above scrutiny. And no individual has the authority to decide by personal declaration who the people of the FCT will elect in 2027. That decision belongs solely to the people,” she said.

Ms Kingibe also stated she will not be intimidated or silenced while she questions the FCT administration.

“I also want to make this very clear: attempts to intimidate, silence, or demean women in government are totally unacceptable. Women who choose to serve in public office must not be expected to remain silent simply because they ask difficult questions or refuse to compromise their principles.

“I will not be distracted by personal attacks. I will continue to speak when the interest of the FCT demands it, scrutinise matters that require scrutiny, and stand firmly for the people I represent. I did not enter public service to be intimidated. I entered it to serve. The will of the people of the FCT will prevail on the day of the election,” she said.

The FCT has a different constitutional position compared to Nigeria’s 36 states.

Under Section 299 of the 1999 Constitution, the rules apply to the FCT as if it were a state. But, the Constitution gives the legislative powers usually held by a state House of Assembly to the National Assembly. The President holds the executive powers that a state governor would have.

Section 302 also states that the President can appoint a minister for the FCT, who carries out functions given by the President.

This means that unlike state governments, whose budgets are approved by their own Houses of Assembly, the FCT’s budget is considered by the National Assembly.

The National Assembly’s control over public funds for the FCT is clear in the yearly FCT Appropriation Acts. For instance, the 2025 FCT Appropriation Act said all money coming to the FCT must go into the FCT Administration’s Statutory Revenue Account. No money can be taken from this account without approval from the National Assembly.

The Act also stated that if there is not enough revenue to cover approved spending, the FCT Minister must get a waiver from the National Assembly before going ahead with the spending.

Beyond the Constitution, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2007 has clear rules for government borrowing. Section 44(1) requires any government or its agencies that want to borrow to explain why they are borrowing and provide a cost-benefit analysis showing the economic and social advantages of the borrowing.

Section 44(2)(a) requires “prior authorisation in the Appropriation or other Act or Law” for the purpose of the borrowing. It also says that money from borrowing must only be used for long-term capital projects.

The Debt Management Office’s borrowing guidelines are even clearer about the FCT. For borrowing from banks and other financial institutions, the guidelines state that the FCT must provide proof of approval from the FCT Executive Committee and a resolution from the National Assembly, alongside the relevant FCT Appropriation or other Act that allows the borrowing purpose.