RismadarVoice Reporters
September 23, 2026
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has told Senator Ireti Kingibe that she will not return to the Senate after the 2027 election, as their disagreement over the FCT Administration’s borrowing intensified.
Wike made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking with journalists during an inspection of ongoing road projects across the Federal Capital Territory.
His comments followed Kingibe’s allegation that the FCT Administration had obtained loans without securing the required approval of the National Assembly.
Wike rejected the allegation, insisting that borrowing by the FCT Administration followed established procedures and was reflected in budgets approved by the National Assembly.
“There is no way you can go and take a loan without the approval of the National Assembly,” Wike said.
The minister also criticised Kingibe’s understanding of the borrowing process and questioned her representation of FCT residents.
Wike claimed that residents had already made their political choice ahead of the 2027 elections and said he was supporting former FCT senator Philip Aduda for the seat currently occupied by Kingibe.
“I don’t want to comment about her. When the time is right, let her pack her bags out,” Wike said, before claiming that FCT residents would support President Bola Tinubu and Aduda in 2027.
His assertion about voters’ preferences remains a political claim ahead of the election.
Wike argued that the debate over borrowing should focus on whether the funds were being properly deployed to infrastructure projects and whether residents were benefiting from them.
“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?” he said.
Kingibe had earlier questioned the increase in the FCT’s domestic debt and said she had raised her concerns with the leadership of the Senate.
The House of Representatives had also weighed in on the controversy, with Deputy Spokesman Philip Agbese saying there was no evidence that the FCT Administration breached required procedures in financing its infrastructure projects.
During Tuesday’s inspection, Wike visited ongoing projects including the N1 road and routes linking Tunga Madaki, Zuba and Kagini.
He said the projects would improve transportation and economic activities in the affected communities upon completion.
Wike also linked the infrastructure programme to the administration’s political message ahead of the 2027 elections, saying the projects provided residents with an opportunity to assess the performance of President Tinubu’s administration.
