Ireti Kingibe, the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has explained her decision to leave the Labour Party (LP) for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking on Channels Television’s programme Politics Today on Wednesday, Kingibe cited the factionalization of the Labour Party as the main reason for her defection.
“Labour Party is in two factions right now — the Abure faction and the Nenadi faction. So what do you expect me or any other elected official in the party to do?” she asked. “Only people not holding political office would say they remain in the Labour Party. But if you hold office or plan to run, which faction would you run under? At the local council elections, Labour Party is not even fielding candidates. Clearly, it is not a viable platform for seeking election today.”
Kingibe added that the Nigerian Constitution allows elected officials to seek alternative platforms if their party is factionalized. “I strongly believe that those who defect without meeting constitutional requirements should lose their seats, but in our case, that does not apply. That is exactly what the constitution provides,” she said.
She also noted that in the FCT, voters have historically made independent choices. “From Olusegun Obasanjo till now, hardly anyone controls how the people of the FCT vote,” she said.