By Gabriel Ameh
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 major threat to her ambition, saying his two decades in the National Assembly provide FCT residents enough basis to assess his record.
Muoneme made the remarks 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 serving another 12 years in the Senate. He is seeking a return to the National Assembly in the 2027 elections.
However, Muoneme questioned the need for another term, arguing that residents have had ample opportunity to assess his performance over the years.
“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 added that if Aduda’s performance had been satisfactory, residents themselves should be demanding his return to the Senate.
“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,” Muoneme said.
Muoneme outlines leadership vision
The PRP candidate said her approach to leadership would focus on developing younger leaders and establishing a clear succession structure.
She said that if elected and given two terms in office, she would use the period to mentor and develop a new generation of leaders capable of sustaining development beyond her tenure.
“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.
Muoneme also dismissed the suggestion that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike could pose an obstacle to her senatorial 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 senatorial candidate, describing such reports as hearsay unless the minister publicly declares his position.
While acknowledging infrastructure projects undertaken by the FCT administration, Muoneme said the responsibilities of a minister and senator were fundamentally different.
“A minister has his role. A senator has her role. So where exactly is the clash?” she asked.
PRP candidate unveils FCT RISE Agenda
Muoneme said her campaign would be anchored on the FCT RISE Agenda, which she said represents representation, research, innovation, inclusion, stewardship, entrepreneurship and empowerment.
Affordable housing, she said, would be one of her priorities, with plans to promote collaboration between government, developers and financial institutions to expand access to decent housing through mortgage arrangements.
She also proposed the establishment of an automobile hub that would bring mechanics, auto electricians and other professionals together while creating opportunities for practical training for engineering graduates.
According to Muoneme, her interest in human-capacity development predates her political ambition.
She recalled working with young people facing drug abuse and other social challenges, supporting skills acquisition in areas including tailoring, hairdressing and tie-and-dye.
She said some beneficiaries were provided with loans instead of outright grants, with repayments channelled into revolving funds to support other beneficiaries.
“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.
‘Politics is about leadership, not money’
Muoneme rejected the perception that Nigerian politics is inherently “dirty”, arguing that such a mindset could discourage capable Nigerians from participating in public service.
“Politics is not dirty. Politics is about leadership. Politics is service,” she said.
She said her professional experience in education, research, entrepreneurship and human-capacity development would inform her political agenda.
The PRP candidate further stressed that her campaign would cover all six area councils of the FCT and would not be limited to the 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 involving motorists and cattle in the FCT, Muoneme advocated ranching and a more organised livestock industry as part of efforts to address the problem.
She also rejected vote buying, saying campaign resources should instead be channelled into legitimate mobilisation, voter engagement and communicating candidates’ programmes to the electorate.
“Politics is not all about money,” she said, urging FCT voters to assess candidates based on credibility, competence and capacity to deliver.
