By: Joy Musa Kefas
A fresh wave of controversy has hit Nigeria’s political landscape as Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), leveled serious allegations against the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, accusing him of allocating prime Abuja land to his son at a staggering 99% discount.
In a now-viral interview aired on Arise TV, Kingibe claimed she possesses documents proving that land allocations valued at ₦200 million were granted to Wike’s son for a mere ₦2 million. The 43-second clip from the interview, which began trending on Friday, has ignited widespread debate on social media platform X, with users demanding evidence and expressing outrage over the alleged abuse of office.
“I wouldn’t come here without having the facts and the documentation,” Kingibe stated during the interview, asserting that she plans to present the documents to the National Assembly to demand accountability.
The senator further alleged that the fee waivers were processed within 48 hours, describing the act as “unethical” and “illegal at the very least.” She also claimed that land originally designated for a government hospital in Bwari was revoked by Wike, who allegedly intends to repurpose it for a commercial development.
In response, Lere Olayinka, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications, dismissed the allegations, branding Kingibe an “accidental senator” and challenging her to publicly release the documents and submit them to anti-graft agencies.
“Responsible and serious people don’t go on national TV to say ‘I have evidence of corruption by government officials’; they display whatever evidence they have,” Olayinka posted on Facebook.
The allegations have sparked renewed calls for transparency in land allocation processes within the FCT, with civil society groups and concerned citizens urging the Senate to investigate the claims thoroughly.
As the political drama unfolds, all eyes remain on Senator Kingibe to substantiate her claims and on the National Assembly to take decisive action. Meanwhile, Minister Wike has yet to issue a formal statement addressing the accusations.
