The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe, has stated that the comment of the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, that the results of the 2026 council polls in the FCT are already known is reckless, coercive, and undemocratic.
In a statement made available to the press on Wednesday and shared across her social media platforms, Kingibe disclosed that she has written to several key national and international bodies, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Inspector General of Police and the National Security Adviser.
She also said she wrote to the leadership of the National Assembly, the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and members of the diplomatic community.
She argued that Wike’s statement strikes at the very heart of democratic values and electoral integrity, and could have far-reaching consequences for the political climate in the FCT.
Attached to her statement was a video clip showing Wike at an event in Abuja, in which he is heard saying, “I don’t know those who want to run elections in the area council, I don’t know what they will preach to the people.
“But those who are with us they have the opportunity to tell people what we have done.
“So let people not waste their money. The result is known.”
Reacting, the Senator stated, “As the duly elected Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, I feel compelled to respond strongly and unequivocally to the deeply troubling and undemocratic remarks recently attributed to the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike.
“In a statement widely circulated in the media, the Minister was quoted as advising opposition parties not to ‘waste their time and money’ in the upcoming FCT Area Council elections, claiming that ‘the result is known.’ Such a statement is not only reckless and inflammatory it is dangerous.
“It undermines the very foundation of our democracy and directly assaults the constitutional rights of the residents of the FCT, who, like all Nigerians, deserve free, fair, and credible elections.
“The suggestion that election outcomes are already determined before a single ballot has been cast reeks of impunity, intimidates voters, and disrespects the sacrifices of countless Nigerians who have struggled and fought to preserve our right to vote in meaningful elections.
“I will work tirelessly to ensure that the FCT becomes a model of democratic participation, not a symbol of political manipulation.
“Let no one be in doubt: the 2026 Area Council elections will not be an imposition. There will not be a coronation. There will not be business as usual.
“There will be a referendum on the state of leadership in the FCT, and the people will have the final say. Not threats. Not propaganda. Not coercion.”