By Joy Yesufu
Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the National Assembly, has formally resigned from the Labour Party (LP) and announced her defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking in Abuja on Friday, Kingibe described her departure as a “deliberate and strategic political move,” citing the deepening factional crisis within the Labour Party as the primary reason for her decision.
“I am totally and completely committed to ADC,” she said, adding that her official induction into the party would be marked with celebration. “Don’t expect me to just take a lunch break and collect a party card. I want to do so with noise and fanfare.”
She expressed confidence in the ADC’s leadership, noting that the party is still evolving but holds great potential. “It’s something that is growing. You cannot say while your child is crawling that you are unhappy with how he’ll run. You wait. We are growing,” she stated.
Addressing concerns that her defection might cost her Senate seat, Kingibe argued that the current state of the Labour Party, which she claims has two clear factions, legally justifies her move under the Nigerian Constitution.
“There are two factions, clear factions — of Labour Party. The perfect definition the constitution gives for someone to decamp without penalty applies in this case,” she said. “Even INEC received two sets of results and candidates from the LP during the elections, though it didn’t accept any. So if you ask me to stay in Labour Party, which faction do you want me to stay in?”
Kingibe emphasised that her decision was guided by her respect for constitutional principles. “If there were not two distinct factions in the Labour Party, I would not presume to decamp, because that is unconstitutional. But they are. That’s why I chose to move—and I chose ADC.”
Her defection adds to the mounting tension within the Labour Party as political realignments intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
