By Samuel Adeola
Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in the Senate, has officially defected from the Labour Party (LP), to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing deepening internal crises within her former party.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Kingibe described her move as deliberate and strategic ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I’m totally and completely committed to ADC,” she declared. “Don’t expect me to just take a lunch break and collect the party card quietly. I want to do it with noise and fanfare.”
Responding to questions about ADC’s structure, Kingibe acknowledged that the party is still growing, saying, “It’s something that is evolving… We are growing.”
She defended her defection on constitutional grounds, referencing the ongoing factional disputes in the Labour Party.
“There are two clear factions in the Labour Party. That fits the constitutional provision that permits defection without penalty,” she said. “So if you say I should stay in Labour Party, which faction do you want me to stay in?”
Kingibe further explained that even the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), received conflicting candidate lists from the party ahead of recent elections.
“If there were not two distinct factions, I wouldn’t dare to decamp. But they exist, and the law is clear,” she added.
Her defection comes shortly after she appeared at the official unveiling of the ADC as the platform for a new opposition coalition in Abuja on July 2.
