Senator Ireti Kingibe has openly rated former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as a better-performing Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) than the current minister, Nyesom Wike.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Kingibe stated that while Wike may be pushing infrastructural projects across Abuja, they are not directly impacting the lives of ordinary residents.
According to the FCT lawmaker, true performance as FCT Minister lies in meeting the everyday needs of the people. She faulted Wike’s style, saying his focus on infrastructure ignores the economic struggles of ordinary Abuja residents.
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“If you ask any FCT person who has been the minister who has performed the most in the FCT, they will tell you El-Rufai. Why? El-Rufai built roads, he also responded to the needs of the people,” Kingibe said.
She went further to draw a contrast, noting that El-Rufai was the type of leader who did not dismiss concerns brought up by citizens or lawmakers.
“El-Rufai was also the sort of minister when the people have a major problem, he did not take the senator to common people like me to say, ‘Oh, the place you have moved the abattoir to, there’s no infrastructure’,” she added.
Kingibe maintained that successful governance in Abuja requires more than just physical projects, emphasizing that a good minister must be attuned to the citizens’ voices and realities on the ground.
Her comments are likely to fuel the ongoing political debate over Wike’s role in Abuja and his reported ambitions beyond the FCT.
