The Federal Capital Territory senator-elect, Ireti Kingibe, has promised to push for a mayor to be appointed for the capital city even as she assured that she would make a case for the appointment of indigenes as ministers for the FCT.
Kingibe who was speaking on Thursday in Abuja won the Senatorial election on the 25 February, under the Labour Party, defeating 4-time Senator, Phillips Aduda of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
“The status of FCT is constitutional. So, I personally cannot do anything about it unless the Constitution is amended,” She said, pointing out that, “The status of the FCT is already determined by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“However, I believe with the right strategy we can do something to address the agitation for political inclusion by the FCT indigenes,” she assured.
She stressed that, “If you understand the psychology of women, we don’t jump straight to the biggest thing, we start taking them little-by-little till we get it all.
“I’m going to start by pushing for a mayoralty for the FCT.
“When we have more control of ourselves by determining what happens in the FCT in an executive sort of way; then, we now set the bar higher.
“We can also push for the President to appoint a minister from the FCT on the North Central or any platform he wishes as long as the person hails from Abuja.
“We’ll start off by getting a few gains. So, that is where I’m going to start,” she stated.
She promised to represent all, saying, “I am a senator for everybody, regardless of party, and I want all those who contested with me to know that.
“All the different parties in the FCT such as Labor Party, APC, PDP, and all the smaller parties like APGA YPP and SDP should see FCT as a mother for the rest of the State. I want all of them to consider me as their senator.
“When I started in 2003, I didn’t know anything. I mean, I knew about politics, because I was on the sidelines when my husband was running for different things.
“But in terms of contesting myself, some special women gave me support in different ways.”