Ireti Kingibe, the Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe, has dismissed reports alleging that she defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
TheNewsGuru reports that Kingibe while addressing newsmen in Abuja said her defection was a deliberate move and would be formalised with “fanfare”.
She said, “I’m totally and completely committed to ADC.
“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 if she was satisfied with the leadership of ADC and the coalition she’s joining, the senator said the party is still evolving
She answered, “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.”
However, speaking on Saturday, Senator Kingibe described the rumors as “false, inaccurate, and a complete fabrication.”
She clarified that despite attending coalition events where the ADC was adopted as the preferred platform for the 2027 elections, she remains firmly in the Labour Party.
“I’m still in the Labour Party,” Kingibe said, brushing aside swirling rumours that she had formally joined the ADC.
Her statement comes amid heightened speculation triggered by her participation in a major political gathering where a coalition of opposition elements—drawn from the Labour Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and others—unveiled the ADC as their unified platform ahead of the next general elections.
Although her presence at the adoption event alongside other political heavyweights raised eyebrows, Kingibe insists it does not amount to defection.
“I am serving the residents of the FCT, and any report that I have dumped the Labour Party is false, inaccurate, and a complete fabrication,” she said.
She also addressed a recent media interview where she was quoted as saying, “I’m totally and completely committed to ADC,” a statement many interpreted as confirmation of her exit from the Labour Party.
Clarifying that remark, she asked: “Where did they get that report from? Who told them? When did I hold the interview to announce my resignation?”
According to her, the statement was made in the context of her support for the coalition’s ideals, not an indication that she had formally left her party.
“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,” she said, referring to formal party registration procedures. “I want to do so with noise and fanfare,” he had said at the ADC event.
She emphasized that although sympathetic to the broader coalition movement, she has not officially switched to another party.
“We, including Mr Peter Obi and others, are still in the Labour Party. My commitment to serving the people of the FCT remains unchanged,” she said