Labour Party Senator Ireti Kingibe has stated that her party is severely fractured by internal conflicts and, in its current state, lacks the capacity to win elections.
The Senator, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), made the remarks on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm programme on Tuesday. While confirming her continued membership in the Labour Party, she announced her alignment with the opposition coalition operating under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform.
“Yes, I’m still a member of the Labour Party, but I support the ADC,” she said.
Kingibe, elected under the Labour Party in 2023, argued that the party’s internal disarray would cost the opposition dearly in the upcoming FCT local government elections. She said the decision to back ADC stemmed from the need for a viable political platform.
“Labour Party is in a sort of quagmire. We’re trying to fix it, but as it stands, I don’t see it as a party capable of winning any election. It’s deeply fractured,” she remarked.
“We have local elections ahead. Ideally, the Labour Party should have been the platform, but it’s split into two factions. The ADC has credible candidates, and we intend to use it to prove our point.”
When asked if she might leave the Labour Party if the crisis persists, the 71-year-old lawmaker replied, “Maybe, I might eventually.”
Her comments follow rising momentum around a proposed opposition alliance, which reached a climax on July 2, 2025. Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai, among others, adopted the ADC as the coalition’s unified platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
The coalition is banking on the combined strength of Atiku and Obi’s 2023 performance—together securing over 12 million votes, surpassing Tinubu’s total by more than four million, despite his victory being declared by INEC.