The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, has formally announced her defection from the Labour Party (LP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing the deepening internal crisis within her former party as justification for the switch.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, Kingibe explained that her decision to leave the Labour Party was based on legal and strategic grounds, especially as the party is currently embroiled in a factional crisis.
“There are two clear and distinct factions of the Labour Party. Even INEC received two sets of results and candidates. That situation is clearly defined in the constitution as grounds for a lawful defection,” Kingibe stated.
She argued that the division within the LP allows her to legally cross to another party without risking the loss of her Senate seat, noting that she remains committed to acting within the 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 that the constitution gave why it would be okay to decamp to anywhere I wanted to go to. I just chose ADC,” she said.
Kingibe, a first-time senator elected in the 2023 general election under the Labour Party platform, emphasized that her move to the ADC was a deliberate and strategic political decision, particularly in the build-up to the 2027 general election.
“I’m totally and completely committed to ADC,” she declared, adding that her formal registration with the new party would be done with fanfare.
“Don’t expect me to just take a lunch break and go and collect card. I want to do so with noise and fanfare.”
On whether she was satisfied with the state of her new party, Kingibe acknowledged that the ADC, like any political entity, is still evolving.
“It’s something that is evolving. 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.
Her defection comes just days after she appeared at the official unveiling of the ADC as the political platform of the emerging opposition coalition on July 2 in Abuja, alongside other prominent political figures.
The development marks a significant shift in the FCT’s political landscape and underscores growing tensions within the Labour Party, which continues to struggle with internal leadership tussles since its electoral surge in 2023.
With Kingibe’s departure, the ADC gains a sitting senator in Nigeria’s National Assembly — a boost that could strengthen the party’s profile ahead of the next general elections.
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