Senator Ireti Kingibe who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has officially announced her departure from the Labour Party (LP) to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as preparations for the 2027 general elections begin to take shape.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Kingibe described her decision as intentional and strategic, adding that her formal induction into the ADC would be celebrated publicly.
“I’m totally and completely committed to ADC,” she declared. “But obviously, as the senator representing the federal capital territory, don’t expect me to just take a lunch break and go and collect card. I want to do so with noise and fanfare.”
When asked whether she was content with the ADC’s leadership and the broader coalition movement it is building, Kingibe said the party is still finding its footing.
“It’s something that is evolving. 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,” she said.
Kingibe states defection backed by constitution
Addressing legal concerns over whether her defection could lead to the loss of her Senate seat, Kingibe insisted that her move is backed by constitutional provisions. She pointed to the internal divisions within the Labour Party as justification.
“I ask you to please read the constitution. There are two factions clear of Labour Party. The perfect definition that the constitution gives for somebody to decamp without penalty,” she said.
She continued, “So you say I should stay in Labour Party. Which faction of Labour Party do you want me to stay in? There are two clear distinct ones. Even INEC got two sets of results and candidates, though they didn’t accept any. There’s no question of that.”
Kingibe also noted that even in times when the party was not this divided, enforcement of anti-defection laws was rarely pursued. “But I do follow the law. And if there were not two distinct factions of Labour Party, I would not presume to decamp, because that is unconstitutional. But they are,” she said. “And this is the definition that the constitution gave why it would be okay to decamp to anywhere I wanted to go to. I just chose ADC.”
Kingibe was among the notable figures who attended the unveiling of ADC as the platform for the opposition coalition during an event in Abuja on July 2.
