Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the National Assembly, has officially defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The senator announced her defection on Wednesday, citing irreconcilable internal crises and leadership challenges within the Labour Party as key reasons for her decision. According to her, the persistent disagreements and lack of internal cohesion in the party have made it difficult to effectively pursue the interests of her constituents.
Kingibe noted that her move to the ADC was driven by the need for a more stable and progressive political platform that aligns with her vision for effective representation, good governance, and inclusive development for the FCT.
Her defection means that she is the first Senator and only national assembly member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presently, after the expulsion of Hon. Leke Abejide, who represents the Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopa-muro Federal Constituency Constituency, in the House of Reps under the party, was recently ratified by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for various acts of indiscipline.
Her defection from the Labour Party to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) may also signal the begining of a long speculated unusually large political influx of federal lawmakers into the ADC, ahead of the 2027 general elections, as indications suggest that dozens of Members of the 10th National Assembly are weighing options to leave their current parties.
Although no other formal declaration has been made apart from Senator Kingibe’s, there are rife expectations that as many as 107 national assembly lawmakers, broken down as: 21 Senators and 86 House of Reps members may actually be heading to the ADC ahead of the 2027 elections.