Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has said Senator Ireti Kingibe will not return to the Senate after the 2027 election, while defending the FCT Administration’s borrowing for infrastructure projects.
Wike made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking to journalists during an inspection of ongoing road projects in Abuja. His comments followed Kingibe’s earlier criticism of the administration’s borrowing arrangements.
Kingibe had alleged that the FCT Administration obtained loans without securing the required approval of the National Assembly. She said her concerns were based on information from the Debt Management Office covering the period between August 2023 and March 2026.
Responding, Wike rejected the allegation and argued that government borrowing must be incorporated into the budget and subjected to the appropriate legislative process.
The minister also criticised Kingibe personally, referring to her as an “illiterate” and saying she had nothing to offer residents of the FCT. He further said he supported former senator Philip Aduda for the FCT senatorial seat in 2027.
Wike argued that the key issue should not be whether the FCT Administration had borrowed money, but whether borrowed funds were being used for projects that would benefit residents.
He pointed to ongoing road construction and other infrastructure projects across the territory as evidence of how the administration was deploying funds.
The minister also connected the disagreement to preparations for the 2027 elections, saying the lifting of the campaign restriction had opened the way for politicians to present their records to voters.
Kingibe’s concerns have centred on the FCT’s increasing debt and the process through which loans are obtained. She has maintained that the National Assembly has an oversight responsibility over borrowing and said she had raised the matter with the Senate leadership.
The House of Representatives had previously weighed in on the issue, with its Deputy Spokesman, Philip Agbese, saying there was no evidence that Wike violated established procedures in financing FCT infrastructure projects.
Agbese said borrowing for infrastructure was not unlawful where the required approvals and procedures were followed.
The disagreement between Wike and Kingibe is the latest in a series of public exchanges between the FCT minister and the senator over the administration of the capital.
Meanwhile, Wike continues to defend the FCT Administration’s infrastructure programme, including road projects linking several communities within the territory.
The minister said the projects under inspection would improve transportation and economic activities while benefiting residents of communities along the affected routes.
The dispute comes as political parties and candidates begin preparations for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, with both governance records and legislative oversight expected to feature prominently in political discussions.
