Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, on Monday, criticized the senator representing the territory, Ireti Heebah Kingibe, predicting she would lose public support in the next election. Speaking at the flag-off of the Mabushi Bus Terminal in Abuja, Wike expressed disappointment that instead of collaborating with the FCT Administration, Kingibe was upset that residents are praising President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Wike said: “I overheard somebody on Arise TV this morning. Unfortunately, I hear the person is a member of the National Assembly and it is unfortunate I say so. With all due respect, what you don’t know, you don’t know. The good thing for you is to tell people you don’t know when you don’t know, then people will educate you.
“The Honourable Minister of State and I have not been in office for more than 11 months, and the person is angry that they are praising us. If you don’t want or you are angry about that, go and hang yourself on a transformer. If we have done well, we have done well. If we haven’t done well, we haven’t done well. I am proud to say that in the short time that Mr. President has appointed us, we have done well.
“You said there are no hospitals. You, as a legislator, what have you done? How many bills have you sponsored to improve our education and health sectors?
“I challenge that legislator. If you are very popular, in 2027 come and run under Abuja, we will fail you. Do you think that what happened last time will happen again? It will not happen again. Luckily for me, I am the FCT Minister now. So that is my territory, and I’m not afraid.
“People should be able to come out and accept the truth. We are not begging for anybody to become our friend; we have so many friends that we cannot even carry along. So how can we go and be begging people to become our friends? We are not interested in that.
“If you are angry that people are praising us, by next year your BP level will go very high because the praises you would see would be too much.”
Kingibe had criticized the Wike-led administration on the television program, asserting she is not a friend of the minister.