"The FCT Minister will not be available to be used as a launchpad for Senator Ireti Kingibe's dying political career."
The war of words between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the senator representing the territory, Ireti Kingibe, escalated on Tuesday after a blistering statement from the minister's media aide accused the senator of hypocrisy, financial misconduct, and personal impropriety.
Lere Olayinka, senior special assistant on public communications and social media to Mr Wike, released a statement in which he described Senator Kingibe as "shameless" and alleged that several of her legislative aides had quit due to non-payment of salaries and what he termed "immoral acts."
Mr Olayinka's statement came in response to comments by Senator Kingibe during a television appearance, where she criticised Minister Wike's governance style, saying he was "out of touch" with the needs of FCT residents and that his conduct was "fuelling resentment."
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In a sharp rebuttal, Mr Olayinka said, "The FCT Minister will not be available to be used as a launchpad for Senator Ireti Kingibe's dying political career."
He further accused Mrs Kingibe of mistreating her personal staff and questioned her own credibility on issues of governance and accountability.
The statement also levelled serious personal allegations, including a so-called "immoral relationship" involving one of Mrs Kingibe's aides, and hinted at details of her estranged marriage to Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Mr Olayinka, however, failed to provide evidence to back his allegations, an approach that undermined his claims about the senator.
"... We will keep our gunpowder dry for now," Mr Olayinka said, implying that more revelations could follow.
He went on to demand that the senator account for an alleged N3 billion allocation received last year and accused her of selling off constituency project contracts at discounted rates.
Defending his principal, Mr Olayinka said Mr Wike remained focused on delivering infrastructural development to both the city centre and satellite communities of the FCT.
"Just last Friday, 16 projects were commissioned to commemorate President Bola Tinubu's second year in office," he said. "By this time next year, even more projects would have been completed."
Senator Kingibe has yet to respond to the latest accusations. However, political observers say the clash between the two FCT powerbrokers reflects deeper tensions in the capital's governance structure, and may be setting the stage for a high-stakes political showdown ahead of 2027.
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