Senator Ireti Kingibe, the lawmaker representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has openly criticised President Bola Tinubu over what she calls a serious misstep: appointing Nyesom Wike as Minister of the FCT.
In a candid interview on Arise TV on Monday, Kingibe didn’t mince words, describing Wike’s leadership style as autocratic and marked by a blatant disregard for constitutional norms and rule of law.
“The primary thing is that the minister doesn’t obey the rule of law. He’s autocratic. He doesn’t follow any rules or laws. And when you try to draw his attention that governance is based on laws… he doesn’t accept that,” she said.
Allegations of Overreach and Illegal Revocations
According to Senator Kingibe, Wike has unilaterally revived dormant agencies without the necessary legislative backing—a move she says violates due process.
“Minister Wike has brought back agencies without enabling laws. If he wants these things, he should ask the National Assembly. But he doesn’t, because he’s autocratic. He feels, ‘I can do anything,’” she said.
One of the more troubling accusations is the revocation of 7,000 hectares of land previously allocated to the University of Abuja. Kingibe says this action flies in the face of the Land Use Act, especially given that the land was earmarked for education, not private development.
“You can’t just take land from an institution to give to individuals. It’s wrong and illegal,” she stated.
Impact on FCT Residents: Job Losses and Frustration
Senator Kingibe also highlighted how Wike’s policies are affecting vulnerable residents, especially poor women who depended on government street-cleaning jobs to survive.
“Every minister who came before saw those women—widows, indigent mothers—sweeping the streets. They never took that from them,” she said. “But Wike came in and fired them all. Then he didn’t even bring mechanical sweepers to replace them. Now, Abuja is looking dirty, and people are suffering.”
She said the abrupt loss of those jobs has added to the growing frustration among FCT residents, with little sign that the government understands or cares about the consequences.
A Mistake That’s Damaging Tinubu’s Presidency
In her strongest rebuke yet, Senator Kingibe said giving Wike so much influence has turned out to be the biggest mistake of President Tinubu’s administration.
“If I were to make a list of all the things President Tinubu has done wrong, the greatest wrong he’s done to himself—the thing that has demarketed him the most—has been appointing Minister Wike,” she said firmly.
While she acknowledged that her opinion may be personal, Kingibe’s comments echo a wider sentiment among critics and residents of Abuja who feel Wike’s aggressive style is doing more harm than good.
As tension grows between elected representatives and federal appointees in the FCT, Senator Kingibe’s remarks mark a rare and direct challenge to presidential decision-making—one that could stir further conversations about governance, accountability, and the real cost of unchecked power.
