Senator Ireti Kingibe has taken a swipe at Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), accusing him of being disconnected from the people and fuelling growing resentment in Abuja.
Speaking on Political Paradigm, a Channels TV programme, Kingibe said Wike’s leadership style has left residents feeling sidelined and insecure.
“Most of Abuja is pitch dark,” she said. “So I go there, put solar lights in the spaces I can just so young people can feel safer. You can’t lock them indoors forever.”
Kingibe added that residents often reach out to her about security issues in their communities, particularly the lack of basic infrastructure like street lighting.
“I know Karu market is in darkness. I installed lights there. People write to me saying, ‘There’s so much insecurity. A few lights will help.’ And I do it. Solar lights are cheap but where I can place one, the minister could place a thousand. Do you see the difference?”
Taking aim at Wike’s recent boast that she won’t return to the Senate in 2027, Kingibe said she’s unfazed.
“I wasn’t desperate to run before, and I’m not now. But if I decide to contest, it’s a shoo-in.”
The senator believes the upcoming area council elections, scheduled for early next year, will serve as a clear referendum on Wike’s performance.
“Those elections will show whether or not Wike truly has control over the FCT. Because, frankly, nobody does,” she said.
According to Kingibe, what unites Abuja’s diverse population today is their shared frustration with the minister’s perceived arrogance and neglect.
“It’s not just a matter of development,” she said. “It’s about being treated with contempt. The people here have their own minds, and they don’t appreciate being disregarded.”
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")