Curfew: The People Of FCT Are Not Subjects Under A Dictatorship – Kingibe Knocks Wike

The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe, has condemned the imposition of a curfew by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

Naija News reports that Wike declared Friday a work-free day and announced a restriction of movement from 8 pm on Friday to 6 pm on Saturday in preparation for the FCT Local Council elections scheduled for Saturday.

Reacting to the development via a statement signed by her Special Assistant on Media, Matilda Duncan, Kingibe stated that the Minister’s directive is a direct affront to democratic governance and the constitutional rights of residents.

She said, “The people of the FCT are not subjects under a dictatorship. They are citizens of a democratic republic. Any sweeping restriction on their movement and livelihoods must be justified by compelling evidence, subjected to scrutiny, and carried out with transparency.”

While acknowledging the importance of maintaining law and order, Kingibe emphasised that security concerns cannot serve as a blanket justification for “executive overreach”.

She stressed that the curfew, as announced, risks inflicting severe economic hardship on small businesses, workers, and families who rely on daily income for survival, as well as international visitors.

“ECOWAS Parliamentarians will be arriving for a planned 10-day extraordinary meeting starting on Sunday, Set Weddings and receptions, Planned Functions, Marked Events and Embassies.

“Curfews are only warranted when there are SERIOUS security breaches, and there are NONE. This is only just Area Council (LG) Elections.

“Decisions of this magnitude cannot be taken without cause, consultation with stakeholders, and due process.

“The Minister should please remember that he is not the first to administer this territory and this is not the first election taking place here,” she added.

Senator Kingibe, therefore, called on the Minister to immediately review and suspend the curfew.