ABUJA — The long-standing cold war between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, reached a boiling point this week, culminating in a heated verbal altercation that required the intervention of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Senator Kingibe provided a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the total breakdown of communication between the territory’s two most prominent leaders.
The ‘Shouting Match’
According to the lawmaker, the friction peaked during a recent phone conversation. Kingibe narrated that after several attempts to reach the Minister to discuss urgent administrative matters, the eventual call turned volatile.
“I called him and he yelled at me. I yelled at him back, and it continued for some minutes before we put the phone down,” Kingibe revealed, describing an environment where collaboration has become nearly impossible.
The impasse reportedly forced the hand of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who stepped in as a mediator. Kingibe disclosed that Akpabio initiated a three-way conference call to bring both parties to the table, though the gesture appears to have done little to mend the fractured relationship.
Silence from the Villa
The Senator also expressed frustration over the perceived indifference of the Presidency. Kingibe confirmed she has formally written to President Bola Tinubu to report the Minister’s conduct and the administrative bottlenecks currently stalling FCT governance.
“I’ve written to President Tinubu over this issue, but I got no response from him,” she stated, lamenting that the lack of presidential intervention has emboldened the Minister’s “autocratic” approach.
Election Tensions
The timing of the revelation coincides with the FCT Area Council elections. Kingibe took the opportunity to slam Wike’s recent imposition of a curfew, describing it as an overreach of power aimed at suppressing the democratic process.
The feud, which began shortly after their respective appointments and elections in 2023, has become a fixture of Abuja’s political landscape. While Wike has previously vowed that Kingibe will not return to the Senate in 2027, the Senator maintains that her primary concern remains the oversight of the FCT budget and the security of her constituents.
As of press time, the office of the FCT Minister has not issued a formal rebuttal to the Senator’s latest claims.
