Real reason Ireti Kingibe won’t return to senate in 2027 – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that Senator Ireti Kingibe will not be returning to the Senate in 2027, insisting that she has “no project to show” for her time in office.

Wike made the remark while addressing political stakeholders, maintaining that performance and visible development projects would determine future electoral outcomes in the FCT.

Kingibe, who currently represents the Federal Capital Territory in the Senate, was elected in 2023 on the platform of the Labour Party (LP). Her victory was considered one of the notable wins recorded by the party during the last general elections.

In 2024, Wike vowed that the senator would not be re-elected in 2027.

Prior to this, Kingibe claimed Wike had refused to respond to her letters and messages amid rising insecurity in Abuja.

The senator also posited that Wike did not have the interest of the FCT at heart, claiming that residents were battling water scarcity amid other challenges.

Speaking at a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike tied his prediction of Kingibe not returning as senator to project delivery.

“I had said it more than one year ago, Senator Ireti, you won’t come back as a senator. That’s why you people don’t like people who tell you the truth. It’s bitter. Let her show one project,” he said.

He added that Kingibe has been absent from satellite communities where folks actually turn out to vote.

During the recent FCT area council elections, Wike was criticised by opposition political parties for visiting several polling units during the vote. The minister defended his action during the media chat, adding that he has the right, as the territory’s chief security officer, to visit polling units.

“I’m the governor of FCT, for security, I have to find out what’s going on. I don’t need to be told. I’m not a candidate in the election. As the chief security officer, I have the right to have the view of what was going on,” he said.

“I wasn’t on the ballot and I never said people should vote for the APC. What I said was that the candidates supporting Mr President are the candidates I will support.”

He shared that he visited about 10 polling units and rejected insinuations of interfering with the poll.

“And how does it influence (the election)? When did Nigerians conduct referendum that they are not happy that I as chief security went to 10 polling units to check what was going on?” he asked.

Wike dismissed comparisons to past ministers.

“What’s my business? You have said the previous ministers you had never bothered about development. So, because they didn’t do development, I should not do development?” he asked.