Senator Ireti Kingibe, the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has demanded an apology from Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, following comments in which Wike threatened to unseat her in the 2027 elections.
Kingibe and Wike have had a contentious relationship since they assumed their respective offices. Recently, Wike questioned Kingibe’s achievements for her constituents and criticized her performance.
Wike made the comment during the flag-off ceremony for the construction of the Mabushi Bus Terminal in Abuja on July 1. At the event, Wike said Kingibe would not be reelected in 2027.
Kingibe has responded, saying Wike’s remarks were disrespectful and that he should issue an apology.
“He doesn’t obviously understand the concept of the FCT. If he did, it is nothing personal. He says ‘I don’t want to be her friend.’ How does governance translate into friendship?” Kingibe said during an appearance on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm.
The senator expressed frustration over Wike’s derogatory comments, including a specific remark asking her to go hug a transformer.
Kingibe demanded that Wike apologize before they could work together.
“Once he does that, it is all over. We can start afresh but until then, everybody stays in your lane. With all due respect, I am so much older than him. Even courtesy demands he should speak to me like that,” Kingibe stated.
Kingibe, a member of the Labour Party, defeated Philip Aduda, a Wike ally, in the 2023 election to represent the FCT. Since then, the relationship between the senator and the minister has deteriorated, with Kingibe accusing Wike of neglecting her calls and not prioritizing the needs of FCT residents.
Wike, on the other hand, said Kingibe was frustrated because she was not appointed as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on the FCT.