Wike Says Ireti Kingibe Will Lose Senate Seat in 2027

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has told Ireti Kingibe, the senator for the FCT, that she will not go back to the Senate in 2027. He made this statement while defending the FCT Administration’s borrowing for infrastructure projects.

Wike spoke on Tuesday during an inspection of road projects in the FCT. He was responding to questions from journalists.

Kingibe accused the FCT Administration of taking loans without the National Assembly's approval. Wike rejected this claim. This argument comes amid ongoing political tension between the two officials over how to manage and develop the nation’s capital.

Wike said Kingibe’s accusation showed she did not understand how the government loans process works. "She is an illiterate, with all due respect, and that is why she is not going back to the Senate. She has nothing to offer to the people of the FCT. There is no way you can go and take a loan without the approval of the National Assembly. Anyone take a loan, you will include it in the budget; this aspect of the budget, the government is going to collect loan," the minister said.

He added that he would not spend much time responding to Kingibe. He insisted that the people had already made their political choice for the 2027 election. "I don’t want to comment about her. When the time is right, let her pack her bags out, the people have made their choice by agreeing to support President Tinubu, and then will support Philip Aduda for Senate. So, let us not waste our time reacting to inferiors who failed in all ramifications. I don’t want to react to it, I am above that," he said.

Wike has previously supported former senator Philip Aduda for the FCT Senate seat. He said the focus should be on whether borrowed funds are used for projects that benefit the residents. "I thought she would criticise that I am doing nothing. So if her problem is that I took a loan, if I took a loan, I am using it to work. I thought her concern would have been: are we applying the loan to work for the interest of residents? She believes that we can’t run infrastructure without loans, and that we must have taken a loan, that is her problem," he said.

Kingibe had earlier claimed that Wike was obtaining loans for the FCT without the National Assembly's approval. She based her position on information from the Debt Management Office covering August 2023 to March 2026. The House of Representatives later dismissed her allegation. Deputy Spokesman Philip Agbese said there was no evidence that Wike violated procedures in financing FCT infrastructure projects. Agbese stated that borrowing for infrastructure is not unlawful when the right approvals and procedures are followed.

Wike also linked Kingibe’s criticism to the start of the campaign period for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections. "When is the time to campaign? Look at what we are doing. That is the campaign. The ban on campaigning has been lifted for the President and National Assembly, am I not right? As I finish now, then she knows what we are doing, and they are seeing every road, and telling everyone that this is what President Tinubu is doing. Who will see what Mr President is doing and will say that he will vote for another person? That is not correct. So, I am doing my job. While we are doing an inspection of the project, we are also doing a campaign," he said.

The minister said the ongoing projects in the FCT show the Federal Government’s commitment to infrastructure development. Speaking on the projects he inspected, Wike expressed satisfaction with the work on the N1 road and other stretches from Tunga Madaki to Zuba and Kagini. He said that when completed, these projects would directly impact the economy of the affected rural communities.

Wike noted that improving roads and other infrastructure would boost economic activity and enhance the quality of life for residents. He added that the happiness of the people is the essence of good governance.