She’s an ‘irritant’, ‘ant’, ‘girl’, Reno counsels Wike to choose his fights, ignore Sen Kingibe

Former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has advised Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike to calm down and desist from engaging in unnecessary confIicts as they will create more distractions from significant political battles and potentially counterproductive to winning future elections in the FCT.

Omokri who gave the advice in a post on X on Tuesday, said Wike was opening too many battle fronts for himself and must learn to pick his fights.

The self-styled “TableShaker” was reacting to the brewing feud between Wike and the Senator representing the FCT in the National Assembly, Ireti Kingibe.

Wike and the lawmaker on Monday, engaged each other in a war of words after she criticised Wike on his performance as the FCT Minister.

While speaking on an Arise TV programme, Kingibe likened Wike to a governor or president of the FCT who chose to focus on infrastructural development rather than the needs of the people, adding that beyond the surface, FCT residents are unimpressed with Wike’s performance.

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“The minister may be a great minister in a Ministry that has no people. But the unique situation of the FCT minister is that apart from infrastructure and roads, he also has to take into consideration the needs of the people in that community.

“The minister of FCT is almost acting as governor for the President. Just like people took me on when those roads were commissioned,” she said.

In response, Wike said:

“I overheard somebody on Arise TV, unfortunately, a member of the National Assembly.

“With all due respect, what you don’t know, you don’t know, and what you know, you know. It is good to admit when you don’t know something so that people can educate you.

“If we have done well, we have done well. If we haven’t, we haven’t. I am proud to say that in the short time Mr. President has appointed us, we have done well.

“If you’re angry, go and hang yourselves on transformer. If you’re popular, come and run again in Abuja, 2027. We will fail you. You think what happened last time will happen again?”

While wading in on the brouhaha, Reno said:

“Wike is opening too many battlefronts. He should learn how to pick and choose his battles.

“At worst, Ireti Kingibe is just an irritant. As FCT Minister, she has minimal ability to do you any actual harm beyond nuisance value. You are already fighting an obstinate foe in Rivers.

“Why will you leave the elephant you are carrying on your head to use your toe to kill an ant? What if you slip and fall?

“You are threatening her that she will not return. First of all, that is undemocratic. But even if Wike’s threat to stop her reelection was not undemocratic, how many ruling parties have won in the FCT?

“The FCT traditionally votes for opposition parties. Buhari lost the FCT in 2015 and 2019. President Tinubu lost it in 2023. Should Wike not be more concerned about winning FCT votes in 2027 than fighting a girl?

“If you constantly make enemies everywhere you go, perhaps other people are not the problem. What is in Ireti Kingibe that you cannot transcend her by ignoring her?”

Wike is opening too many battlefronts. He should learn how to pick and choose his battles. At worst, Ireti Kingibe is just an irritant. As FCT Minister, she has minimal ability to do you any actual harm beyond nuisance value. You are already fighting an obstinate foe in Rivers.…

— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) July 2, 2024

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