Senator Ireti Kingibe Blasts Tinubu’s Decision to Appoint Wike as FCT Minister, Calls It His Gravest Mistake

 

Senator Ireti Kingibe has openly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to appoint Nyesom Wike as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, calling it a major misstep that has had damaging consequences for both the FCT and the President’s administration.

During a recent interview on Arise Television, Senator Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory in the Senate, did not hold back as she condemned Wike’s approach to governance. According to her, the minister has failed to adhere to constitutional processes and has shown blatant disregard for the rule of law.

According to Kingibe, the President erred significantly by handing over the leadership of the capital territory to someone she believes has no respect for legal frameworks or institutional checks. She expressed concern over what she sees as Wike’s autocratic tendencies, stating that the minister acts without regard for legal boundaries or the principles of accountability.

“The primary thing is that the minister doesn’t obey the rule of law. He’s autocratic. He doesn’t follow any rules or any laws,” Kingibe stated during the interview. She went on to explain that efforts to engage the minister on these issues have been met with resistance and indifference.

Kingibe did not stop there. She accused Wike of unilaterally reinstating defunct agencies without seeking proper legislative backing. She argued that such actions are not only improper but also undermine the authority of the National Assembly.

“Minister Nyesom Wike has brought back agencies without the enabling laws,” she said, adding that if the minister truly believed in the value of those agencies, he should have gone through the appropriate legal channels. “He should ask the National Assembly to create the enabling laws. But he doesn’t, because he’s just autocratic. He feels, ‘I can do anything.’”

Another issue raised by the senator was the revocation of a substantial portion of land allocated to the University of Abuja. According to Kingibe, 7,000 hectares out of the 11,000 originally designated for the institution were arbitrarily taken back by the minister. She described this move as not only unjust but also a violation of the Land Use Act.

“Abuja University had approximately 11,000 hectares. Minister Wike has revoked 7,000 of it and left them with four. It is definitely against the Land Use Act for you to take land from institutions to give them to individuals,” she emphasized.

The senator also lamented the social impact of Wike’s decisions, particularly concerning job losses among vulnerable women who relied on street-cleaning jobs for survival. According to her, a longstanding tradition had ensured that widows and other underprivileged women were employed to sweep the streets of Abuja. However, Wike allegedly terminated their jobs without providing a viable alternative.

“Every minister has come and found the streets being cleaned by indigent women,” Kingibe said. “Even when some ministers come and want to bring mechanical street sweepers, we say no. This is a source of livelihood for our indigent women, widows, and other underprivileged women. He comes, he’s fired them all. Then he doesn’t replace them with mechanical street sweepers. So, Abuja is looking dirty.”

She further warned that these actions are breeding frustration and dissatisfaction among FCT residents, and that the social tension is building due to the disregard for people’s welfare.

Wrapping up her comments, Senator Kingibe laid the blame squarely on President Tinubu for giving Wike such significant authority. She argued that the President’s credibility and leadership have taken a hit as a result.

“It’s my personal opinion that that is rather unfortunate, because if I were making a list of all the things that President Tinubu has done wrong, the greatest wrong he’s done to himself, the thing that has demarcated him the most has been on Minister Wike,” she concluded.

Kingibe’s remarks have added fuel to ongoing debates about governance in the Federal Capital Territory. Her bold critique raises deeper questions about the balance of power, constitutional order, and accountability in the Tinubu-led administration, particularly as public dissatisfaction continues to grow in the capital.