In what appears to be a significant political reconciliation, Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has set aside her long-standing differences with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike by publicly endorsing his budget presentation.

During Wednesday's joint National Assembly Committee session on FCT, Wike defended a N1.78 trillion statutory budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year. In a surprising turn of events, Senator Kingibe stood up to support the minister's presentation, describing it as 'well presented.'

"I as the senator representing the FCT, I want to also commend the FCT minister, Wike. It is a well-presented budget and I ask my colleagues to pass the N1.78 trillion budget as it is," Kingibe stated during the session.

A History of Conflict

The endorsement marks a significant shift in the relationship between the two political figures, who have previously maintained a frosty relationship. Their public disagreements reached a peak in 2024 when Wike challenged Kingibe to "hang herself on a transformer" if she was unhappy with his performance as FCT minister.

Wike had also previously threatened that Kingibe would lose the support of FCT residents. In response to these remarks, the senator had expressed willingness to work with the minister only if he apologized, stating: "He doesn't obviously understand the concept of the FCT, if he did, it is nothing personal."

The budget defense session appears to have provided an opportunity for both parties to put their differences aside in the interest of FCT development.

Budget Priorities

While specific details of the N1.78 trillion budget proposal were not elaborated in the session, the substantial allocation indicates significant development plans for the Federal Capital Territory in the coming fiscal year.

Political analysts view this reconciliation as potentially beneficial for FCT residents, as cooperation between the territory's senator and minister could accelerate development projects and improve governance in the capital region.

The National Assembly is expected to deliberate on the budget proposal in the coming weeks, with Senator Kingibe's endorsement likely to influence its passage.