S enator Ireti Kingibe has demanded an apology from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike before any possibility of collaboration between them. Speaking on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm on Tuesday, Kingibe expressed her willingness to work with Wike, but only after he retracts a previous derogatory remark in which he suggested she should “go hug a transformer.”
Kingibe, who represents the FCT and is a member of the Labour Party (LP), described the minister’s comment as disrespectful, highlighting the importance of courtesy and mutual respect in governance.
“Well, I am actually willing to do everything to work with the Minister of the FCT as long as he apologizes first for saying I should go hang on a transformer,” Kingibe said. “Once he does that, it’s all over, we can start afresh, but until then, as far as I am concerned, everybody stay in your lane. I mean with all due respect, I am so much older than him, even courtesy demands he shouldn’t speak to me like that, and I was also elected by the people. I did not get up from my sitting room and say ‘Here I am, please do this for the people.’ I am only conveying their message. I am the voice of the people, and that should be respected.”
The tension between Kingibe and Wike has been escalating since the senator’s victory over Wike's ally, Philip Aduda, in the 2023 elections. Kingibe has accused Wike of sidelining her, despite her role as the senator for the capital territory. She has also claimed that Wike has been unresponsive to her calls and has not shown a genuine interest in addressing the FCT’s issues, including security concerns.
In response, Wike, during the flag-off ceremony for the Mabushi Bus Terminal, criticized Kingibe, questioning her legislative contributions and challenging her to prove her popularity in the 2027 elections. “If we have done well, we have done well. If we haven’t done well, we haven’t done well. I am proud to say that in the short time that President Tinubu has appointed us, we have done well. You said there are no schools and hospitals. You, as a legislator, what have you done? How many bills have you sponsored for us to improve our education and health sectors?” Wike said.
“I challenge that legislator. If you are very popular, in 2027, come and run under Abuja; we will fail you. You think that what happened last time will happen again? It will not happen again. If you are popular, come and run. Luckily for me, I am the FCT minister now. So, here is my territory, and I am not afraid.”
Wike also dismissed the notion of seeking friendships in politics, emphasizing that governance should not be about personal relationships. “People should be able to accept the truth. We are not begging for anybody to be our friend. We have so many friends that we cannot even carry them along. So, how can we go and beg people to be our friends? We are not interested in that,” he added.
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