• Agbese dismisses Kingibe’s allegation, insists FCT minister followed due process
• ‘Debt increase alone not proof of illegal borrowing’
The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has dismissed allegations that FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, obtained loans for the Federal Capital Territory without the approval of the National Assembly.
Agbese, a Labour Party lawmaker from Benue State, said there was no evidence that Wike breached any law or bypassed established procedures in financing projects and programmes in Abuja.
He was reacting to claims by Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the FCT in the National Assembly, that the FCT Administration had engaged in borrowing without securing the required legislative approval.
Kingibe had said she raised the matter with the leadership of the Senate after reviewing information obtained from the Debt Management Office (DMO) covering the period between August 2023 and March 2026.
Speaking on Channels Television, the senator said she had not seen Wike appear before the Senate to seek approval for any loan.
“I have never seen Wike come to the National Assembly and before the Senate to ask for approval of anything,” she said.
Kingibe, however, explained that FCT budgets were presented to the Senate through the relevant committee before being considered and approved by the chamber.
According to her, her concerns over the FCT’s debt profile were based on information contained in documents from the DMO.
But reacting to the allegation in Abuja on Thursday, Agbese said it was misleading to suggest that Wike had circumvented the National Assembly or acted outside established procedures in accessing funds for projects in the FCT.
He said public borrowing was governed by constitutional, statutory and administrative processes involving relevant government institutions, stressing that the FCT minister could not unilaterally create a sovereign borrowing obligation.
“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.
The lawmaker said Wike had consistently subjected the FCT Administration to legislative scrutiny, particularly through the presentation and consideration of its budgets and appearances before relevant committees of the National Assembly.
Agbese argued that an increase in the FCT’s debt profile could not, on its own, be regarded as evidence of illegal borrowing, especially given the scale of infrastructure projects executed by the administration since Wike assumed office.
He listed major road construction and rehabilitation, transportation infrastructure and other capital projects among the interventions undertaken across Abuja.
“Borrowing for infrastructure development is not unlawful in itself, provided the prescribed approvals and procedures are followed,” he said.
“The critical issue is whether the required approvals and procedures have been followed.”
Agbese also rejected claims that Wike had operated without legislative oversight, describing the FCT minister as one of the public officials who had consistently engaged the National Assembly.
“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,” he said.
The lawmaker urged lawmakers and other stakeholders to base allegations concerning public borrowing on specific transactions and official documents rather than political claims.
He challenged Kingibe and other interested parties to identify specific borrowing transactions in question so that relevant authorities could provide the documents and approvals governing them.
Agbese further cautioned against conflating the responsibilities of the FCT minister with those of the Federal Government and other institutions responsible for public finance, borrowing and debt management.
He said Wike’s stewardship of the nation’s capital should be assessed not only on the basis of the territory’s debt profile but also on projects executed, procedures followed and the impact of the administration’s interventions.
The exchange has further heightened the disagreement between Kingibe and the FCT Administration over the management and financing of development projects in Abuja.
While Kingibe has continued to raise concerns about transparency, budget implementation and the FCT’s financial commitments, the administration has maintained that its activities are being carried out within existing laws and government procedures.
