Wike Declares Kingibe Won’t Return to Senate in 2027, Defends FCT Borrowing

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that Senator Ireti Kingibe will not return to the Senate after the 2027 general election, escalating the political disagreement between the FCT minister and the senator representing the nation’s capital.

Wike made the statement on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, while speaking with journalists during an inspection of ongoing road projects in Abuja. His comments followed Kingibe’s allegation that the FCT Administration had obtained loans for infrastructure projects without securing the required approval of the National Assembly.

Kingibe had raised the issue publicly in August during an appearance on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm. She said she had drawn the attention of the Senate leadership to the FCT Administration’s borrowing and alleged that she had never seen Wike appear before the National Assembly to seek approval for the loans.

The senator said her concerns were based partly on information from the Debt Management Office covering FCT borrowings between August 2023 and March 2026. She challenged anyone disputing her position to produce the relevant parliamentary records showing that the minister had appeared before the National Assembly to obtain approval.

Wike rejected the allegation, arguing that government borrowing for capital projects forms part of the budgetary process and therefore goes through consideration and approval by the National Assembly. He questioned how the FCT Administration could lawfully obtain such borrowing without following the established legislative procedure.

The minister also shifted the focus from the borrowing controversy to what he described as the senator’s record of representation. He argued that Kingibe should be more concerned about whether funds used for FCT projects were being applied to improve the lives of residents rather than simply questioning the fact that the administration had borrowed money.

Wike went further by declaring that Kingibe would not return to the Senate in 2027. He said the political choice of FCT residents would favour former senator Philip Aduda, whom he has previously supported, alongside President Bola Tinubu.

The minister also criticised Kingibe’s contribution to the development of the Federal Capital Territory, alleging that she had failed to provide meaningful representation for residents. His comments therefore brought the disagreement beyond the technical question of borrowing into the broader political contest over representation and development in Abuja.

The controversy comes as Wike continues to highlight ongoing infrastructure projects across the FCT. During Tuesday’s inspection, he visited projects including roads around Tunga Madaki-Zuba and Kagini, as well as other major routes intended to improve connectivity within the territory. He has repeatedly argued that residents should assess government performance through completed and ongoing infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, the dispute over the FCT loans has attracted responses beyond the two politicians. Deputy spokesman of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, said there was no evidence that Wike had violated the required borrowing procedures in financing FCT infrastructure. With the 2027 elections approaching, the disagreement between Wike and Kingibe is now unfolding against a wider political contest over the representation of the Federal Capital Territory and the performance of its administration.