Senator Ireti Kingibe has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of Nyesom Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), calling it a serious misstep and accusing Wike of governing the capital in violation of the law.
Speaking during an interview with Arise TV on Monday night, July 14, Kingibe, who represents the FCT in the Senate, said her ongoing clashes with Wike are rooted in what she described as his autocratic leadership style and disregard for legal procedures.
“The primary issue is that the minister doesn’t obey the rule of law. He’s autocratic. He doesn’t follow any rules. And when you remind him that governance is based on the rule of law, he simply doesn’t accept that,” she said.
Kingibe alleged that Wike has unilaterally reinstated defunct agencies without seeking legislative backing.
“If he wants these agencies back, he should go to the National Assembly and request enabling laws. But he doesn’t, because he believes he can act without checks,” she stated.
Citing a specific instance, Kingibe accused Wike of unlawfully revoking a significant portion of land allocated to the University of Abuja.
“The university had about 11,000 hectares. He’s taken 7,000 of it, leaving only 4,000. That clearly violates the Land Use Act, which prohibits reallocating institutional land for private use,” she said.
She also claimed that Wike’s policies have led to job losses among vulnerable groups in the city.
“Street cleaning was traditionally done by indigent women, widows, and the underprivileged. Wike dismissed them without replacing them with mechanical alternatives. Now, Abuja is dirty,” she said.
On the issue of unpaid local contractors, Kingibe said:
“There are hundreds of small indigenous contractors in Abuja who haven’t been paid in two years. His excuse is that he didn’t award the contracts, so he won’t pay. That’s unjust.”
Kingibe also took aim at President Tinubu, saying Wike’s appointment has been one of the president’s biggest missteps.
“If I were to list President Tinubu’s mistakes, appointing Wike would top the list. Giving someone from the opposition that much power has only backfired,” she said.
She further accused Wike of reallocating land meant for public health services:
“There’s land in Bwari designated for a general hospital. Wike revoked it and is now building a market or mall there. He’s also been harassing embassies and residents over ground rent.”
Asked about her next steps, Kingibe said she would present documents proving Wike’s misuse of authority to appropriate legislative bodies.
“I plan to take these documents to the proper oversight bodies and demand that Wike’s actions be brought under scrutiny. He operates without any accountability—he doesn’t consult the National Assembly except for budget matters. What has he done with all the IGR and TSA funds? No one knows,” she said.
when asked if she feared Wike, she replied:
“I’m definitely not afraid of him. I’m not saying he should be afraid of me either, but he should know I’m watching and I’ll speak out.”
Kingibe also shared a recent security concern, claiming she was followed after returning from an oversight visit to Sokoto.
“A black jeep followed me almost all the way home. But I’m a senator of the Federal Republic. I have rights. I’m not afraid—God is my protector,” she said.