The 2027 senatorial race in the Federal Capital Territory is already taking shape as a contest between political experience and a promise of renewal.
Dr Juliet Muoneme, the Peoples Redemption Party candidate, has dismissed former Senator Philip Aduda as a serious threat to her ambition, arguing that his two decades in the National Assembly have given FCT residents enough time to assess his performance.
Speaking in Abuja during an engagement with the Association of Corporate Online Editors, Muoneme said Aduda’s record should speak for itself.
Aduda represented the FCT in the House of Representatives for eight years before serving 12 years in the Senate, and is now seeking a return to the National Assembly.
“If he was that efficient with a lot of projects here and there, does he even need to come out?” Muoneme asked. “It is people who should be asking him to recontest.”
Rather than presenting herself as a conventional politician, Muoneme said she would use public office to build new leaders and establish a clear succession structure.
She maintained that even a single eight-year tenure would give her enough time to mentor younger people and prepare them for leadership.
Her campaign, she said, would be driven by the **FCT RISE Agenda**, centred on representation, research, innovation, inclusion, stewardship, entrepreneurship and empowerment.
The plan includes affordable housing through partnerships with developers and financial institutions, as well as an automobile hub where mechanics, electricians and engineering graduates can work, train and develop practical skills.
Muoneme also pointed to her previous youth-development initiatives, including skills acquisition programmes for young people affected by drug abuse and other social challenges.
Some beneficiaries, she said, received repayable loans, allowing the funds to revolve and support others.
“Politics is not dirty. Politics is about leadership. Politics is service,” she said, arguing that the perception of politics as corrupt or toxic has kept capable Nigerians away from public service.
She rejected suggestions that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike could block her campaign, noting that the minister’s responsibilities differ from those of a senator.
She also cautioned against claims that Wike had endorsed a candidate, describing such reports as hearsay unless he publicly declares his position.
Muoneme said her ambition extends beyond Abuja Municipal Area Council to all six area councils of the FCT, particularly communities she believes have not received their fair share of development.
She advocated ranching and a more organised livestock industry to reduce clashes between motorists and cattle, and urged voters to reject vote-buying in favour of credibility, competence and capacity.
For Muoneme, the 2027 election is not simply a contest against established names. It is a test of whether FCT voters are ready to replace long political experience with a new agenda built around inclusion, opportunity and accountable leadership.
