Wike Predicts Kingibe’s Defeat In 2027

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said Senator Ireti Kingibe will lose her FCT Senate seat in the 2027 election.

Wike spoke on Tuesday while responding to questions from journalists during an inspection of ongoing road projects in the FCT, Vanguard reported.

Kingibe, who represents the FCT in the Senate, had accused the FCT Administration of obtaining loans without the required approval of the National Assembly, a claim Wike rejected.

The disagreement is the latest in a series of political differences between the two officials over the administration and development of the nation’s capital.

Responding to the allegation, Wike said Kingibe’s position showed a lack of understanding of government borrowing procedures.

“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,” Wike said.

He argued that government borrowing must be captured in the budget and approved through the appropriate legislative process.

Wike also dismissed the senator’s criticism of the FCT Administration’s borrowing, saying the funds were being used to finance infrastructure projects.

“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,” he said.

The minister also said he expected FCT residents to support President Bola Tinubu and former FCT Senator Philip Aduda ahead of the 2027 elections.

“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,” Wike said.

Kingibe had earlier said her allegation was based on information from the Debt Management Office covering August 2023 to March 2026.

The House of Representatives subsequently dismissed the allegation, with its Deputy Spokesman, Philip Agbese, saying there was no evidence that Wike had violated the required procedures in financing FCT infrastructure projects.

Agbese said borrowing for infrastructure was not unlawful where the prescribed approvals and procedures were followed.