Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, has accused FCT Minister Nyesom Wike of obtaining loans for Abuja without the approval of the National Assembly.
Kingibe made the allegation on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm, where she discussed the administration of the FCT, the Abuja master plan and the oversight responsibilities of the National Assembly.
The senator said she became aware of the alleged borrowings after examining records from the Debt Management Office covering the period between August 2023 and March 2026.
“I have never seen Wike come to the national assembly and before the Senate to ask for approval of anything,” she said.
Kingibe said FCT budgets were routinely presented to the Senate through the relevant committee for scrutiny before approval by the National Assembly.
She, however, alleged that Wike had not similarly appeared before the Senate to seek approval for loans contracted for the territory.
“I am definitely saying he has been taking loans without the approval of the National Assembly. I don’t know about the House, but certainly not the Senate,” she said.
The Senator said she had raised the issue with the Senate leadership and challenged anyone disputing her claim to produce the legislative records showing that Wike had sought approval for the borrowings.
“If anybody contradicts me, they should bring the Votes and Proceedings of the day that Wike came to the national assembly to ask for approval for anything,” she said.
FCT debt rises sharply
The allegation comes against the backdrop of a sharp increase in the FCT’s domestic debt since Wike assumed office as minister in August 2023.
Data published by the Debt Management Office show that the FCT’s domestic debt stood at ₦88.51 billion in September 2023. By March 2026, it had risen to ₦389.88 billion — an increase of ₦301.37 billion, or about 340.5 per cent. The DMO published its March 2026 sub-national debt report on June 30.
The increase moved the FCT from near the bottom of the sub-national domestic debt ranking to the second-highest debtor among Nigeria’s states and the FCT, according to an analysis of the DMO figures.
The debt did not rise consistently throughout the period. It fell from ₦94.01 billion in March 2024 to ₦53.43 billion by September 2024, before rising again to ₦78.93 billion in September 2025. It then jumped to ₦188.86 billion in December 2025 and ₦389.88 billion by March 2026.
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