The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has advised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to disregard criticisms from FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe.
Akpabio made this statement on Tuesday while inaugurating the construction of the Kugbo Bus Terminal in the FCT.
During the event, Akpabio praised Wike for his infrastructure initiatives in the nation’s capital and urged him to overlook Kingibe’s complaints of being excluded from decision-making processes.
Senator Kingibe, a Labour Party member, had previously defeated Philip Aduda, an ally of Wike, in the 2023 elections to represent the FCT.
Following the election, Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, was appointed as the FCT Minister in August 2023. Since his appointment, tensions between Wike and Kingibe have been evident.
On a recent television program, Kingibe expressed her frustration, claiming that she was being sidelined by Wike in the administration of the FCT.
In response, Wike, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain serving in the All Progressives Congress-led cabinet, threatened to unseat Kingibe in the next election.
Addressing the situation on Tuesday, Akpabio took a swipe at Kingibe, saying, “I saw one of the legislators on television talking about you (Wike) and mentioning the fact that she was not carried along. Well, she is a member of the Senate. Once a decision is taken, she is bound by the decision. So, please ignore every distraction (from her) and rest assured that no matter what you do, not everyone will praise you. Others will still try to find faults. Some will say why roads alone? But look at where we are now.”
The ongoing disagreement between Wike and Kingibe highlights the political tensions within the FCT, as the minister continues his infrastructure projects amidst criticism from local legislators.