You Won’t Return to Senate in 2027, Defends FCT Loans – Wike Tells Kingibe

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has hit back at Senator Ireti Kingibe over her criticism of loans obtained by the FCT Administration, insisting that the borrowing followed due process and received the approval of the National Assembly.

Wike also said Kingibe would not return to the National Assembly in 2027, while criticising her capacity to contribute to the development of the FCT.

The minister spoke on Tuesday while responding to journalists during an inspection of ongoing road projects across the FCT.

His comments followed allegations by Kingibe that the FCT Administration had taken loans without the required approval.

Wike dismissed the allegation and said loans obtained by the administration were incorporated into the budget and subjected to the necessary approval process.

“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.

“There is no way you can go and take a loan without the approval of the National Assembly. Anytime you take a loan, you will include it in the budget that this aspect of this budget, the government is going to collect loan.”

The minister said the more important issue should be whether borrowed funds were being deployed to infrastructure development rather than the mere fact that the administration had obtained loans.

“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.

“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.”

Wike further dismissed Kingibe’s criticism as politically motivated, saying the timing coincided with the lifting of the campaign restriction for the presidential and National Assembly elections.

He pointed to the ongoing inspection of FCT projects as part of what he described as the administration’s campaign based on its record of infrastructure delivery.

“When is the time to campaign? Look at what we are doing. That is the campaign. The ban on campaign has been lifted for the President and National Assembly, am I not right?” Wike said.

He added that the projects being executed under the Tinubu administration should inform residents’ assessment of the government ahead of the elections.

“As I finish now, then she know what we are doing, and they are seeing every road, and tell everyone that this is what President Tinubu is doing,” he said.

“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.”

Wike also said he did not consider it necessary to engage further with Kingibe’s criticism, arguing that residents had already made their political choice.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

On the road projects inspected, Wike said he was impressed by the level of progress recorded at the various sites.

The inspection covered projects including the N1 road and stretches from Tunga Madaki through Zuba and Kagini.

According to the minister, the completion of the projects would have a direct economic impact on residents of the affected rural communities by improving connectivity and access.

Wike said the welfare and happiness of residents remained the ultimate purpose of governance, stressing that infrastructure development should translate into tangible benefits for communities.