Coalition: FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe dumps LP for ADC
Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the National Assembly, has announced her resignation from the Labour Party (LP) and her defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in preparation for the upcoming 2027 general elections.
During her address to journalists in Abuja, Kingibe called her decision a calculated political move, stating that her official induction into the ADC will be celebrated with “fanfare.”
“I’m totally and completely committed to ADC,” Kingibe declared. “But obviously, as the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, don’t expect me to just take a lunch break and go collect a card. I want to do so with noise and fanfare.”
When questioned about her confidence in ADC’s leadership and the coalition she is joining, Kingibe expressed optimism while acknowledging that the party is still in its early stages.
“It’s something that is evolving,” she remarked. “So you cannot say while your child is still crawling that you are not happy with how he’s going to run. You wait. We are growing.”
As for concerns regarding her Senate seat and constitutional implications of her defection, Kingibe maintained that the internal strife and the existence of two distinct factions within the Labour Party justify her exit.
“I ask you to please read the constitution. There are two factions — clear factions — of Labour Party,” she explained. “The perfect definition that the constitution gives for somebody to decamp without penalty applies in this case.”
Kingibe further noted that even the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had obtained two sets of results and candidates from the Labour Party, which did not accept either. “So if you ask me to stay in Labour Party, which faction do you want me to stay in?” she asked.
She emphasized that her decision was constitutional and rooted in respect for the rule of law. “If there were not two distinct factions of Labour Party, I would not presume to decamp, because that is unconstitutional. But they are. And this is the definition the constitution gave why it would be okay to decamp to anywhere I wanted to go. I just chose ADC.”
Source: Vanguard newspaper
