Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has accused FCT Minister Nyesom Wike of taking loans for the territory without obtaining the required approval of the National Assembly.
The allegation has added a fresh layer to the long-running disagreement between the senator and the minister over the administration and development of Abuja.
Kingibe alleged that the FCT Administration had been accessing loans without subjecting the borrowing plans to the National Assembly for scrutiny and approval.
The senator’s claims come amid heightened concerns over transparency, accountability and legislative oversight of the FCT Administration.
Under Nigeria’s constitutional framework, public borrowing is subject to established legal and budgetary procedures, with the National Assembly playing a key role in approving federal borrowing arrangements.
Kingibe has repeatedly called for stronger legislative oversight of the FCT, particularly over the management of public funds and the implementation of development projects across Abuja.
Her latest allegation is also likely to intensify scrutiny of Wike’s administration, which has embarked on several major infrastructure projects since his appointment as FCT minister.
The FCT has received substantial statutory allocations for its operations and capital projects. In March, the Senate advanced the FCT’s 2026 Appropriation Bill, which provided for N2.2 trillion in funding, including more than N1.6 trillion for capital projects.
Kingibe’s latest comments come shortly after she criticised the FCT Administration over what she described as inadequate environmental and drainage planning, particularly the development of green areas, flood channels and flood plains in Abuja.
She has urged the National Assembly to strengthen its oversight of the FCT and its agencies, arguing that lawmakers must pay closer attention to decisions affecting the capital and its residents.
The senator’s allegations are expected to fuel further debate over how the FCT raises and spends public funds, as well as the extent of the National Assembly’s oversight of the territory.
Neither Wike nor the FCT Administration’s response to the latest allegation was included in the report reviewed.
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