FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has been informed by Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory, that she cannot be intimidated by insults, threats, or political pressure. She has insisted that no minister is above the law and that the decision to return to the Senate in 2027 is made by FCT residents alone, not by him.
In a post on her X platform on Thursday, Kingibe addressed Wike’s recent remarks that dismissed her criticism of the FCT Administration and cast doubt on her political future. The public back-and-forth between the two individuals on the FCT’s loan management and accountability was documented by Vanguard News.
Kingibe said her responsibility as a senator was to ask questions, demand accountability, and defend the constitutional principles underpinning democracy, arguing that raising concerns about public borrowing and the conduct of government should not be treated as disrespect but as a normal part of legislative duty. On the specific loan controversy, she challenged Wike to produce official Senate records showing the borrowings were approved, saying she could not speak for the House of Representatives but was certain the matter was never brought before the Senate.
Kingibe rejects any suggestion Wike controls her political fate
She further pushed back on the idea that Wike or anyone else could determine the outcome of her political career, insisting that no individual has the authority to decide by personal declaration who FCT residents will elect in 2027, framing that choice as belonging solely to the electorate. She also raised concerns about what she described as broader attempts to intimidate, silence, or demean women in public office, arguing that female officeholders should not be expected to stay quiet simply for asking difficult questions.
What Kingibe actually said
Kingibe’s remarks are her own account and characterisation of the dispute with Wike, presented without an independent verification of the underlying loan-approval question either senator raises. Her challenge to Wike to produce Senate records is itself an assertion that remains to be tested against actual documentation, rather than a confirmed fact. Her comments should be read as part of an ongoing political and personal dispute ahead of the 2027 elections, in which both sides have a direct stake in how the narrative is framed. She said she intends to continue scrutinising government activity regardless of the pressure she says she is facing.
Source: Vanguard News.