The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the National Assembly, Senator Ireti Kingibe, has formally announced her resignation from the Labour Party (LP).
Senator Kingibe, who made this known while addressing journalists on Saturday, also announced her defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), signaling a significant political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Kingibe described her move as both “deliberate and strategic,” underscoring her commitment to reshaping the political landscape of the FCT through a new platform.
“I’m totally and completely committed to ADC,” she affirmed, adding that a high-profile celebration will mark her official induction into the party.
“Don’t expect me to just take a lunch break and go collect a card. I want to do so with noise and fanfare.”
Kingibe expressed optimism about the future of the ADC, describing it as a party in evolution. Drawing a metaphor to illustrate her belief in the party’s potential, she stated.
READ ALSO:
“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.”
Anticipating questions about the legality of her move, the senator emphasised that her defection falls within constitutional bounds.
Citing internal conflicts and the existence of two distinct factions within the Labour Party, Kingibe maintained that her decision is supported by legal precedent and electoral realities.
“I ask you to please read the constitution. There are two factions — clear factions — of the Labour Party. The perfect definition that the constitution gives for somebody to decamp without penalty applies in this case,” she argued.
She further referenced the 2023 general elections, during which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reportedly received duplicate submissions of results and candidates from rival Labour Party factions.
“Even INEC got two sets of results and candidates, though they didn’t accept any. So if you ask me to stay in the Labour Party, which faction do you want me to stay in?”
Senator Kingibe’s defection to the ADC comes amid growing tensions and fragmentation within the Labour Party, and is widely viewed as a tactical manoeuvre to strengthen her political base ahead of the 2027 elections. She reiterated that her decision reflects not only political pragmatism but also a strong adherence to democratic and constitutional principles.
“If there were not two distinct factions of the 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.”
As 2027 draws nearer, Kingibe’s strategic repositioning within the ADC is expected to reshape political dynamics in the FCT and may influence broader national conversations about party loyalty, legal defection, and electoral reform.
