Category Nigeria News

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has maintained that Ireti Kingibe will not secure re-election to the Senate in 2027, arguing that her record lacks tangible projects to support a return.

Kingibe, who represents the FCT in the National Assembly and was elected to the Senate in 2023 on the platform of the Labour Party, has since joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Political tensions between both figures have persisted, particularly regarding governance in the FCT.

Kingibe recently alleged that the minister has been uncooperative in efforts to deliver development projects for residents.

READ ALSO: [FCT Polls] ‘I Have The Right,’ Wike Defends Movement Despite Curfew

Appearing on Politics Today on Channels Television, she claimed that despite writing to the minister, she has not received a positive response on collaboration aimed at improving services and infrastructure in the territory.

However, speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike reiterated his position, tying his prediction to what he described as a lack of visible development initiatives.

“I had said it more than one year ago, Senator Ireti, you won’t come back as a senator. That’s why you people don’t like people who tell you the truth. It’s bitter. Let her show one project,” he stated.

Wike also asserted that the senator has not been sufficiently present in satellite communities, which he noted are often areas with high voter participation during elections.

Polling unit visits

During the recent FCT area council elections, opposition parties criticised visits to polling units by the FCT Minister.

However, Nyesom Wike defended the action, stating that as the territory’s chief security officer he has the right to visit polling areas.

The former Rivers State governor stated that his movements during the February 21 area council elections did not influence the outcome of the polls.

“I have the rights, I am the governor of 3,000 polling units. For security, I have to find out what is going on. I don’t have to be told, I am not a candidate for the election,” the minister stated.

“Somebody has said I move about. How many polling units in FCT? FCT has not less than 3,000 polling units. Assuming I went to 10 polling units to check what was going on, how will it affect 3,000 polling units?

“As a candidate, I cannot move around. I must have my agents. As the Chief Security Officer. I have a right to have a view of what is going on and how does it affect, influence the election?”

The Federal Government has commenced the implementation of Executive Order 9 of 2026, which mandates the direct remittance of oil revenues to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

The move follows the inaugural meeting of the implementation committee for the executive order, held on February 26, 2026.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, outlined key resolutions reached at the meeting.

According to him, the committee reaffirmed the president’s directive that revenues accruing to the federation from petroleum operations must be managed in line with constitutional principles, safeguard funds due to the federation, and support the fiscal stability of the three tiers of government.

“In line with the President’s directive, NNPC Limited shall cease, with immediate effect, the collection of the 30% management fee and the 30% frontier exploration fund deductions from profit oil and profit gas under Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs),” the statement read.

“Additionally, all remittances of gas flare penalties into the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF) are suspended with immediate effect, in line with the Executive Order.”

READ ALSO: Tinubu Issues Executive Order To Safeguard Oil And Gas Revenues, Direct Payments To Federation Account

Citing Section 2(3) of the order, which provides for direct payments by contractors into the federation account, Edun explained that the committee agreed the transition must respect existing contractual and financing arrangements while preserving investor confidence.

“For this reason, the Committee approved a defined transition period for the operationalisation of direct payments by contractors of profit oil, royalty oil, and tax oil into the Federation Account.

“Until the Committee issues detailed guidelines, contractors will continue to remit under the current process. During the transition period, the Committee will issue clear, standardised guidance to ensure an orderly changeover,” he said.

Edun further disclosed that the committee approved the creation of a technical subcommittee to develop detailed transition guidelines within three weeks and begin a review of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to address structural and fiscal anomalies affecting federation revenues.

“The Technical Subcommittee will be led by the Special Adviser to the President on Energy and will include the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice; the Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service; and the Chairman of the Forum of Commissioners of Finance, as well as representatives of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), with secretarial support from the Budget Office of the Federation,” he said.

The Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has accused former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and other opposition figures of double standards over the issue of electronic transmission of election results in the Electoral Act.

Wike, who spoke during a media chat on Monday, was reacting to the opposition’s rejection of the new 2026 Electoral Act recently signed by the president, particularly the proviso that allows manual transmission of results where electronic transmission fails because of bad network.

He accused Amaechi of persuading former President Muhammadu Buhari not to sign the provision approving electronic transmission of results when they were in power, questioning why the former minister is now complaining about a provision he once opposed.

READ ALSO: [FCT Polls] ‘I Have The Right,’ Wike Defends Movement Despite Curfew

“Remember under Buhari, the issue of electronic transmission came. People like Rotimi Amaechi, they were in government, they said ‘no, don’t sign, if you sign you lose election’.

“And this is the same person now who is coming out in the public to say there should be electronic transmission, but he refused simply because he felt his boss would be affected,” Wike said.

He maintained that the new Electoral Act does not prohibit electronic transmission of results but seeks to prevent disenfranchisement by allowing manual transmission where electronic transmission fails.

“Now we are here, they did not say there should not be electronic transmission. All they said is in case, and which is likely, let us not disenfranchise people by not allowing their votes to be counted,” he said.

The former Rivers State governor also addressed another contentious provision in the Electoral Act requiring political parties to conduct direct primaries.

Wike argued that indirect primaries allow wealthy individuals, including governors and ministers, to dominate party structures.

He said the direct primary system introduced by the new law would correct that imbalance.

Wike further described Nigerians as “professional complainants,” arguing that they previously criticised indirect primaries for concentrating power in the hands of party elites and moneybags.

Last week, opposition parties including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), called on the National Assembly to immediately begin a fresh amendment process to remove what they described as “all obnoxious provisions” in the Electoral Act 2026.

Several American warplanes crashed in Kuwait on Monday morning but their crew survived, Kuwait’s defence ministry said, as Iran pressed on with a third day of strikes in the Gulf.

“Several US warplanes crashed this morning. Confirming that all crew members survived,” a defence ministry spokesman said in a statement, adding that the cause was under investigation.

“Authorities immediately initiated search and rescue operations, evacuating the crews and transporting them to a hospital for medical evaluation and treatment. He noted that their condition is stable,” the statement added.

Black smoke rose from the US embassy in Kuwait on Monday, an AFP correspondent saw, while US warplanes crashed without causing casualties, as Iran pressed on with a third day of retaliation in the Gulf.

A US base and a power station were also targeted, in what was the most dramatic escalation for the small Gulf country in decades, after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and Baghdad’s attempt to take over Kuwait in 1990.

Blasts also rang out over the Gulf cities of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha and Manama as Iran targets America’s Gulf allies after the killing of its supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.

READ ALSO: US Announces Destruction Of Iranian Force’s HQ, First US Deaths

The embassy in Kuwait did not announce it had been hit, but issued a security alert urging people to stay away.

“There is a continuing threat of missile and UAV (drone) attacks over Kuwait. Do not come to the embassy,” the statement said, adding: “US embassy personnel are sheltering in place.”

The Iranian attacks have so far killed five people in the Gulf, according to authorities, including one person in Kuwait.

The small, oil-rich country has a large US military presence stemming from the 1990 Iraqi invasion, which was repelled by a US-led coalition aiding the Kuwaiti army.

Worried residents

In northern Kuwait, smoke billowed over a power station, three witnesses told AFP.

An energy ministry spokeswoman said a fuel container at the station had been hit by shrapnel as air defences were intercepting drones, causing a limited blaze.

Separately, Iran’s army said it targeted the Ali Al Salem air base hosting US troops in Kuwait, as well as vessels in the Indian ocean, firing 15 cruise missiles.

Also on Monday, shrapnel fell at Mina Al Ahmadi refinery, one of Kuwait’s biggest, injuring two workers, but did not disrupt production, the Kuwait National Petroleum Company said.

Sirens sounded over Kuwait City on Monday to warn of incoming strikes. An unspecified number of drones was intercepted at dawn, the interior ministry said.

Dana Abbas, a Kuwait City resident and engineer, said she was worried about the escalation and had rushed to fill her car with petrol and stock up on basic necessities.

On Sunday, the UAE said fallen debris hit the facade of Etihad Towers, which houses diplomatic embassies include Israel’s, causing minor injuries to a woman and a child.

Iran’s unprecedented bombardment has hit military bases but also civilian infrastructure such as residential buildings, hotels, airports and sea ports, rattling a region long seen as a refuge from Middle East conflict.

The National Environmental Standard and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed the quarry site operated by Dai Jin Jia Investment Limited in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (ACO Estate) following reports of incessant and unregulated blasting activities.

NESREA took the action after public outcry by residents over the company’s operations.

Reports indicated multiple environmental violations allegedly committed by the firm, contravening environmental laws and standards applicable to such establishments in Nigeria.

Earlier, agency officials reportedly faced a heated confrontation when security personnel deployed to the site initially prevented the closure of the facilities.

READ ALSO: NESREA Seals 21 Facilities In Abuja Over Environmental Violations

NESREA further alleged that the company’s blasting activities had damaged residential structures and contributed to the death of a young child, placing families’ safety at risk.

The agency also stated that the company lacked the necessary permit and certification for its blasting plan.

See photos from the exercise below:

The Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has defended the imposition of a curfew in the build-up to the council polls in the nation’s capital.

Speaking at a media chat on Monday in his office, the minister said he has the rights as the ‘governor of the FCT’ to declare curfew.

He told journalists that contrary to claims, the action was approved by President Bola Tinubu.

The former Rivers State governor stated that his movements during the February 21 area council elections did not influence the outcome of the polls.

“I have the rights, I am the governor of 3,000 polling units. For security, I have to find out what is going on. I don’t have to be told, I am not a candidate for the election,” the minister stated.

“Somebody has said I move about. How many polling units in FCT? FCT has not less than 3,000 polling units. Assuming I went to 10 polling units to check what was going on, how will it affect 3,000 polling units?

“As a candidate, I cannot move around. I must have my agents. As the Chief Security Officer. I have a right to have a view of what is going on and how does it affect, influence the election?”

He also blamed the opposition party of not preparing well for the exercise, saying the success recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) showed the performance of President Tinubu-led Federal Government.

Wike had come under attack by Nigerians and opposition for restricting of human and vehicular movement in the FCT from 8pm on Friday to 6pm on Saturday.

Among them is senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe, who accused the minister of being autocratic.

Kingibe said Wike’s decision to impose a curfew across the FCT without broad consultation with critical stakeholders is “a direct affront to democratic governance and the constitutional rights of residents”.