The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated that Senator Ireti Kingibe will not return to the National Assembly in 2027, citing what he described as a lack of visible constituency projects. His remarks come amid ongoing political tensions between both officials over governance issues in the FCT.
Speaking during a media interaction in Abuja, Wike maintained that his earlier prediction about Kingibe’s electoral prospects remains unchanged. He challenged the senator to point to specific development initiatives executed under her tenure to justify a re-election bid.
Kingibe, who represents the FCT in the Senate, was elected in 2023 on the platform of the Labour Party before later joining the African Democratic Congress. In recent weeks, she alleged that the minister had not cooperated with her efforts to facilitate development projects across the territory.
The senator had stated in a television interview that attempts to engage the minister formally on collaboration for infrastructure and service delivery did not yield positive responses.
Addressing criticisms surrounding his movements during the February 21 FCT area council elections, Wike defended his visits to several polling units. Opposition parties had questioned the propriety of the minister’s presence at voting centres.
Wike argued that as the territory’s chief security officer, he is entitled to assess security conditions at polling locations. He said visiting a limited number of polling units out of over 3,000 across the FCT could not have influenced the overall outcome of the elections.
The former Rivers State governor also dismissed suggestions that his presence affected the credibility of the polls. He attributed the performance of opposition parties in the area council elections to what he described as inadequate preparation.
Wike further stated that the results secured by the All Progressives Congress in the FCT reflected public confidence in the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Political disagreements between the minister and the FCT senator have persisted in recent months, particularly over project execution and administrative coordination within the territory.
