Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory, has declared that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai performed better as FCT Minister than the incumbent, Nyesom Wike, despite Wike's ongoing infrastructure development in Abuja.
Speaking on Channels Television's Political Paradigm on Tuesday, Kingibe argued that ordinary Abuja residents are not benefiting from Wike's projects, suggesting the minister is disconnected from the people's actual needs.
"If you ask any FCT person who has been the minister who has performed the most in the FCT, they will tell you El-Rufai. Why? El-Rufai built roads, he also responded to the needs of the people," Kingibe stated during the interview.
The senator further emphasized that El-Rufai's approach was more people-centered, noting: "El-Rufai was also the sort of minister when the people have a major problem, he did not take the senator to common people like me to say, 'Oh, the place you have moved the abattoir to, there's no infrastructure.'"
According to Kingibe, successful governance of the FCT requires more than just infrastructure development. She insisted that a minister must be attuned to residents' concerns to properly identify and address areas of deficiency, suggesting Wike's projects fail to address the daily economic challenges faced by FCT residents.
This criticism comes amid Wike's aggressive infrastructure drive in the capital city, which has received mixed reactions from residents and political observers alike.
The relationship between Senator Kingibe and Minister Wike has reportedly been strained, with previous public disagreements over governance approaches in the FCT.
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