The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has made it clear that he is not interested in fostering any kind of friendship with Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the FCT.
Wike emphasized that he cannot be coerced into establishing a friendship with her and criticized her for resorting to blackmail instead of addressing her concerns through appropriate channels. Speaking to a group of journalists in Abuja on Friday, Wike advised the senator to concentrate on her oversight responsibilities.
Wike alleged that the senator was disgruntled because Senate President Godswill Akpabio did not appoint her as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on FCT. He remarked, “I don’t want to make this personal…she is the Senator for FCT. She has been going around saying, ‘Oh, Wike is busy repairing roads…should I wait until the potholes appear?’ ‘Someone wants to be your friend, and you say, ‘I don’t want to be your friend. Is it compulsory?’ Her issue is that she wanted to be the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, and the Senate President said, ‘I’m not appointing you.’
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According to Wike, the senator’s discontent stems from her electoral defeat against his friend Philip Aduda. He explained, “You cannot supervise me. What is her agenda, that I must pay attention to her? If I encounter any challenges, I will approach her. I have no issues. No one can intimidate me. I served as a Minister before. I governed one of Nigeria’s most significant states, and she believes that the only way to bring me down is by appearing on Channels, TVC, and claiming that the Minister is not involving her. I don’t have anyone to support.
This isn’t about blackmail. Do the right thing. Do you understand her dilemma? She contested in the election against my friend Philip Aduda, and she sees me prioritizing Philip over her as a Senator. Should I abandon my friend because he lost the election?”