2027: PRP’s Muoneme Dismisses Aduda as Threat, Says Record Will Decide By Raymond Enoch

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, insisting that his 20-year record in the National Assembly provides FCT residents with enough basis to judge his performance.

Muoneme spoke on Friday in Abuja during a media engagement with the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE), where she outlined her vision for the FCT and expressed confidence in her ability to challenge established political interests ahead of the 2027 elections.

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 2027.

However, Muoneme said she was not intimidated by his political experience, arguing that his lengthy tenure had already given residents ample opportunity to assess his contributions to the territory.

> “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 the rationale behind seeking 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 prioritise mentorship, younger leadership and deliberate succession planning rather than prolonged occupation of political offices.

> “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.

She maintained that public office should be used to build institutions and empower the next generation of leaders.

The PRP candidate also dismissed suggestions that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike could constitute 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.

Muoneme cautioned against attributing political endorsements to the minister without a clear public declaration, describing reports of an alleged endorsement as hearsay unless Wike himself makes his position known.

While acknowledging the infrastructure projects being executed under the FCT Administration, she stressed that the responsibilities of a minister and a senator were fundamentally different.

> “A minister has his role. A senator has her role. So where exactly is the clash?” she asked.

On whether the PRP could compete effectively with Nigeria’s larger political parties, Muoneme argued that the popularity of a political platform is often driven by the quality and credibility of its candidates.

> “Candidates make party. Party is a political platform,” she said.

She cited the rise of the Labour Party as an example of how individual candidates and political personalities can influence the fortunes of a political platform.

Muoneme also pointed out that the PRP was established in 1978 and therefore should not be regarded as a new political organisation.

The candidate said her campaign would be driven by the FCT RISE Agenda, which she explained as a framework centred on Representation, Research, Innovation, Inclusion, Stewardship, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment.

Affordable housing, she said, would be among her major priorities, with a proposal for stronger collaboration between government, private developers and financial institutions to expand access to decent housing through affordable mortgage arrangements.

She also proposed the establishment of an automobile hub that would bring together mechanics, electricians and other automotive professionals while providing practical training opportunities for engineering graduates.

According to her, the initiative would not only create employment but also help bridge the gap between academic training and practical skills.

Muoneme said her commitment to human-capacity development long predated her political ambition.

She recalled her previous engagements with young people facing drug abuse and other social challenges, during which she facilitated skills acquisition programmes in areas including tailoring, hairdressing and tie-and-dye.

She explained that some beneficiaries were provided with loans rather than outright grants, with repayments returned to revolving funds to enable other beneficiaries to access support.

> “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.

She argued that sustainable youth empowerment should go beyond political promises by creating practical pathways to employment, entrepreneurship and economic independence.

Muoneme also rejected the widespread perception that Nigerian politics is inherently “dirty”, saying the narrative had discouraged many competent Nigerians from seeking public office.

> “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 approach to political representation.

Muoneme stressed that her ambition was not limited to Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), where she resides, but extended across all six area councils of the FCT.

> “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.

She pledged to prioritise inclusive representation and ensure that communities outside the Abuja city centre receive greater attention in development planning and legislative advocacy.

On the recurring clashes and traffic-related conflicts involving motorists and cattle in parts of the FCT, Muoneme advocated ranching and a more organised livestock industry.

She said a structured ranching system would help address the persistent problem while creating opportunities for modernising livestock production.

Muoneme also rejected vote buying, arguing that campaign resources should instead be deployed towards legitimate mobilisation, voter education and engagement.

> “Politics is not all about money,” she said.

She urged FCT voters to assess candidates on the basis of credibility, competence, capacity and the ability to deliver, rather than the size of campaign inducements.