Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The 2027 senatorial candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Juliet Muoneme, has dismissed former Senator Philip Aduda as a threat to her ambition, saying his 20 years in the National Assembly should give FCT residents enough basis to assess his record.
Muoneme spoke on Friday in Abuja during a media engagement with the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE), where she outlined her plans for the six area councils and expressed confidence in her ability to challenge established political interests in the territory.
Aduda represented the FCT in the House of Representatives for eight years before spending another 12 years in the Senate. He is seeking to return to the National Assembly in the 2027 elections.
But Muoneme said she did not regard him as a major competitor because his lengthy tenure had given residents ample opportunity to evaluate his performance.
“This same FCT, he was here for eight years as a House of Representatives member. This same FCT Senate, he was there for 12 years, meaning 20 years he has been running affairs of FCT,” she said.
She questioned why Aduda should seek another term after two decades in the National Assembly.
“If he was that efficient with a lot of projects here and there, does he even need to come out? It is people who should be asking him to recontest,” she added.
Muoneme said her leadership philosophy would focus on developing younger leaders and creating a succession structure.
“With the kind of person I am and with my own kind of ideology, I must have had a lot of mentees through my mentorship programme if privileged to serve for just eight years,” she said.
The PRP candidate also dismissed the suggestion that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike constituted an obstacle to her ambition.
“Wike is a minister. He is not looking for FCT Senate. He has his work as a minister,” she said.
She cautioned against claims that Wike had endorsed a particular candidate, describing such claims as hearsay unless the minister publicly declares his position.
While acknowledging the minister’s infrastructure projects in the territory, Muoneme maintained that the responsibilities of a minister and senator were different.
“A minister has his role. A senator has her role. So where exactly is the clash?” she asked.
On the strength of the PRP compared with larger political parties, she argued that candidates could make political parties popular.
“Candidates make party. Party is a political platform,” she said, citing the rise of the Labour Party as an example.
Muoneme noted that the PRP was established in 1978 and was therefore not a new political organisation.
She said her campaign would be anchored on the FCT RISE Agenda, which she explained would focus on representation, research, innovation, inclusion, stewardship, entrepreneurship and empowerment.
She identified affordable housing as a priority, proposing collaboration among government, developers and financial institutions to expand access to decent accommodation through mortgage arrangements.
She also proposed an automobile hub that would bring together mechanics, electricians and other professionals while providing practical training for engineering graduates.
Muoneme said her interest in human-capacity development predated her political ambition. She recalled working with youths facing drug abuse and other social challenges, facilitating skills acquisition in areas such as tailoring, hairdressing and tie-and-dye.
According to her, some beneficiaries received loans rather than outright grants, with repayments returned to revolving funds to support others.
“I felt that one of the things we could do to curb insecurity and tension in an environment was to get the youths gainfully engaged,” she said.
Muoneme rejected the description of Nigerian politics as “dirty”, saying the perception had discouraged competent Nigerians from public service.
“Politics is not dirty. Politics is about leadership. Politics is service,” she said.
She said her professional background in education, research, entrepreneurship, and human-capacity development would shape her political agenda.
Muoneme stressed that her ambition covered all six area councils of the FCT, not just Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), where she resides.
“I have come as that voice for those area councils that have not been getting the dividends of democracy in terms of development,” she said.
On recurring conflicts between motorists and cattle in the FCT, she advocated ranching and a more organised livestock industry.
She also rejected vote buying, saying campaign resources should be used for legitimate mobilisation and voter engagement.
“Politics is not all about money,” she said, urging voters to choose candidates based on credibility, competence, and capacity to deliver.
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