The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has urged the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, to concentrate on the development of the state, rather than dissipate his energy and resources to probe his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki.
Wike, who was speaking in Benin City, Edo State, on Sunday evening, said probing the former governor would achieve no meaningful results, adding that it was better for Okpebholo to deploy his time and the state’s resources towards achieving his developmental goals for Edo and its people.
According to a statement by Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, on Monday, the FCT minister said that with what he (Wike) went through in the hands of Obaseki, he should ordinarily be happy about the planned probe.
“If there is someone who would have encouraged Okpebholo to probe and prosecute Obaseki, that person should be me. But what I suffered in ensuring that he returned for a second term and how he paid me back is now in the past.
“We must pass through this process in life, move on for the development of Edo State. Don’t do it. I’m the one who should have told you to pursue this man, I know what I passed through.
“I should be the one to prosecute Obaseki, but what is it in life when God has given you a position? If it were to be his power, you wouldn’t be here, but God has told him, ‘you don’t have it and I have given it to whom I want to give.”
Facing a former Governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Wike said: “Leader, I know how pained you are and what you passed through, I know the sufferings you suffered, and it was like a humiliation to you. I was part of it because I humiliated you.
“I apologised on national TV to you, sorry for what I did to you, leave it and let them carry their wahala (trouble) and go, focus on the development of Edo and you will see what you will achieve at the end of the day.”
Wike was in Benin City to commission the New Edo Line terminal, which is the second phase of the Benin Central Bus Terminal, slated for on Monday, but the event was cancelled owing to the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Meanwhile, Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has accused the Minister of the FCT, Wike of autocracy, disregard for the rule of law, and sidelining the National Assembly in key decisions affecting the territory.
Speaking during a live appearance on Arise Television’s Primetime on Monday night, the senator declared that Wike was running the FCT “as though he has executive powers,” despite being appointed and not elected, alleging that Wike has consistently undermined legislative oversight.
Kingibe said Wike reversed established laws without due process, and revoked land allocations in ways she described as “illegal, unethical, and anti-people.”
She said: “Wike does not respect the rule of law. He acts without the enabling laws and sees the FCT as his personal fiefdom. If he wants to revive ministries or agencies like the FCDA as they existed in the past, he should come through the National Assembly. But he won’t because he’s autocratic and acts like he can do anything.”
Among the senator’s strongest accusations was the revocation of 7,000 hectares of land belonging to the University of Abuja, a move she claimed violated the Land Use Act.
“You cannot revoke institutional land to redistribute it to individuals. That is fundamentally against the law. And it’s all open. It’s not even done in secret,” she said.
Kingibe also condemned Wike’s decision to terminate the contracts of thousands of indigent women previously employed to clean streets in the FCT. According to her, the decision displaced one of the few livelihood programmes available to widows and underprivileged women, with no viable replacement.
“He dismissed all the women street sweepers and didn’t even replace them with mechanical alternatives. Abuja is looking dead now. Most ministers understand the symbolism of such programmes, but not this one,” she alleged.
Kingibe further alleged that the minister has refused to pay over 400 small indigenous contractors owed for projects under N5 million, claiming that some date back more than two years.
“He said he didn’t award the contracts and therefore won’t pay. It’s an act of cruelty,” she said.
The senator revealed that she possesses documents proving favouritism in land allocations.
She claimed that Wike allocated land to his son, accompanied by a N200 million development levy, which was reduced to N22 million within 48 hours through an internal waiver, an act she described as “clearly illegal.” Wike had previously denied allocating any land to his son.
“I’m an engineer. I’m a facts person. I don’t say anything I can’t back with documents. I have the proof, and I will table it before the appropriate bodies,” she added. Efforts to work with Wike, Kingibe claimed, have been ignored.
“Even when I write letters, there’s no response. Not even a courtesy reply from an aide. This is not how democracy is meant to function,” she said.
She noted that the people of the FCT, who elected her, bring their complaints directly to her because they feel shut out by Wike.
“They don’t have access to him. So when the minister makes decisions that affect them negatively, they come to me. But how can I help them when I am being deliberately shut out of governance?” she asked.
Kingibe acknowledged Wike’s political influence, both in Abuja and at the national level. She described the President’s embrace of Wike, despite being a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as “the worst political mistake” of President Tinubu’s administration.
“FCT is a microcosm of Nigeria. People here are action-driven, not party-driven. The way Wike governs with impunity doesn’t sell this government. It damages its credibility,” she warned.
She recounted how land meant for a general hospital in Bwari was allegedly revoked and reassigned for a mall or market, questioning the optics and consequences of such moves in the eyes of residents.
Kingibe hinted at attempts to intimidate her, recounting how a suspicious black SUV followed her from the airport to the city after an oversight function.
“I told my driver to take a busier route and eventually lost them. I’m not accusing anyone, but I won’t be intimidated. I was elected to speak out. If I can’t speak, then I might as well resign,” she said, calling for more stringent oversight of the FCT Minister, not just by her office, but by the entire National Assembly.
She expressed determination to escalate her concerns formally and publicly. She said: “Wike must understand that power flows from the President and through the National Assembly. He cannot be more powerful than the source of his appointment. Governance requires accountability.”
Sunday Aborisade and Adibe Emenyonu
Follow us on:
