Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the National Assembly, has announced her defection from the Labour Party (LP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), signalling her political realignment ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Kingibe described her defection as “deliberate and strategic,” adding that a formal declaration would soon be held with what she called “noise and fanfare.”
“I am totally and completely committed to ADC,” she said. “But as the Senator representing the FCT, don’t expect me to just take a lunch break and pick up a membership card. I want to do so with noise and fanfare.”
When asked about her confidence in ADC’s structure and coalition prospects, Kingibe said the party was still evolving, likening its growth to that of a developing child.
“You cannot judge how a child will run when he is still crawling. You wait. We are growing,” she explained.
On the legality of her defection, Kingibe cited the internal crisis within the Labour Party, pointing to the existence of two clear factions as constitutional grounds for her move without losing her seat.
“There are two clear factions within the Labour Party — the exact scenario the constitution provides for an elected official to decamp without penalty,” she said. “So, if you ask me to stay in the Labour Party, which faction should I remain in?”
She further noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had received conflicting lists of candidates and results from both factions, underscoring the party’s division.
“If there were not two distinct factions within the Labour Party, I would not presume to decamp. But there are. That is the constitutional definition for a valid defection. I simply chose ADC,” she concluded.
LEADERSHIP recalls that Senator Kingibe was among the political figures present at the unveiling of ADC as the new platform for a broader opposition coalition on July 2 in Abuja — a move seen as part of ongoing realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
