Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has again declared that FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe will not win re election in 2027, arguing that the lawmaker has failed to deliver visible constituency projects nearly two years after assuming office.
Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike said his position was based on what he described as a lack of tangible development linked to the senator’s tenure since 2023.
“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,” the minister stated.
Kingibe represents the Federal Capital Territory in the Senate and was elected on the platform of the Labour Party during the 2023 general elections, which reshaped Nigeria’s political landscape by producing a significant shift in urban voting patterns, particularly in Abuja and other major cities.
Wike further accused the senator of failing to maintain visibility in satellite communities across the territory, which he said historically account for a large share of voter turnout in FCT elections.
“She is not there. Go to the satellite towns where the real voters are. She is not there,” he said.
The minister had first made a similar prediction in 2024, shortly after assuming office as FCT minister under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. His renewed remarks come amid an ongoing public disagreement between both officials over governance priorities in the capital territory.
Kingibe had earlier accused Wike of ignoring her letters and messages concerning deteriorating security conditions and infrastructure challenges across the territory. In public statements issued through her office, she also alleged that the minister showed insufficient commitment to residents’ welfare, citing persistent water shortages, insecurity concerns, and gaps in social services.
The dispute reflects broader institutional tensions that sometimes arise between executive administrators of the FCT and its sole elected senator. Under Nigeria’s constitutional framework, the FCT operates without a governor or state legislature, placing extensive administrative authority in the hands of the minister appointed by the president, while legislative representation rests with one senator and two House of Representatives members.
Wike also used the media interaction to respond to criticisms over his presence at multiple polling units during recent FCT area council elections, where opposition figures questioned whether his attendance could influence electoral outcomes.
“I’m the governor of FCT. For security, I have to find out what is going on. I don’t need to be told,” he said.
He added that his visits were within his responsibilities as the territory’s chief security overseer.
“I wasn’t a candidate in the election. As the chief security officer, I have the right to have the view of what was going on,” Wike stated.
According to him, he visited about 10 polling units and rejected suggestions that his presence affected voting patterns.
“And how does it influence the election? I wasn’t on the ballot and I never said people should vote for any party,” he said.
Although the next general elections remain more than a year away, political positioning for the 2027 cycle has already begun across Nigeria’s major parties, with the FCT widely viewed as a strategic battleground due to its high concentration of civil servants, urban voters, and growing suburban populations.
Election data from the Independent National Electoral Commission show that the FCT recorded over 1.3 million registered voters in 2023, with participation rates particularly high in densely populated satellite towns such as Kubwa, Nyanya, and Gwagwalada. Analysts have historically noted that performance perception and grassroots engagement often play a decisive role in determining electoral outcomes in the territory.
