Deputy House of Representatives spokesperson Philip Agbese has firmly dismissed allegations that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike borrowed funds for the Federal Capital Territory without the knowledge or approval of the National Assembly. Agbese, who represents Benue State on the Labour Party platform, made the remarks on Thursday, September 10, 2026, in Abuja while addressing journalists, responding to claims by Senator Ireti Kingibe, who holds the FCT's Senate seat.
Kingibe's Allegations and DMO Records
Kingibe had recently told Channels Television's Political Paradigm that the FCT Administration under Wike had taken on loans without approaching the Senate for approval. She said she had raised the matter with Senate leadership and had never witnessed Wike appear before the chamber to seek authorisation for any borrowing.
"I have never seen Wike come to the National Assembly and before the Senate to ask for approval of anything," Kingibe said. The senator added that she uncovered the alleged borrowings while reviewing Debt Management Office records covering the period between August 2023 and March 2026, and that FCT budgets were ordinarily routed through the relevant Senate committee before the chamber gave its approval.
Agbese Defends Wike's Legislative Record
Agbese pushed back firmly against those claims, saying it was misleading to suggest that the ex-Rivers State governor had bypassed the legislature or acted outside legal boundaries in securing funds for capital territory projects. He said the procedures governing public borrowings involve established constitutional and administrative processes, and that no minister could unilaterally create a sovereign debt obligation outside those frameworks.
"Wike has committed no infraction in borrowings. There is no basis for the allegation that he has been borrowing money behind the back of the National Assembly," Agbese said. He also cautioned against reading an increase in the FCT's debt profile as automatic proof of wrongdoing, arguing that the rise should be weighed against the volume of infrastructure work currently under way in Abuja, including road construction, rehabilitation projects and transportation upgrades.
Growing Tensions Over FCT Management
"Under our searchlight, the FCT Minister is one of the most legislatively compliant public servants. He has consistently engaged the National Assembly and subjected the activities of the FCT Administration to legislative scrutiny," Agbese said, describing Wike as one of the most legislatively compliant ministers under the National Assembly's oversight, pointing to regular budget presentations and committee appearances as evidence of his engagement with the legislature.
Agbese added that if Kingibe had identified specific transactions she considered unlawful, the correct course of action would be to name those transactions and request the relevant documentation from the appropriate authorities, rather than making broad public allegations. The exchange is part of a wider and increasingly public dispute between National Assembly member Kingibe and the FCT Administration, with the disagreement centring on how the territory is being managed under Wike's leadership.
