Kingibe debunks defection rumours, pledges loyalty to party
The Labour Party (LP) has frowned on a viral image showing its embattled former National Chairman, Julius Abure, exchanging pleasantries with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, a move the party says is further proof of Abure’s deep entanglement with forces bent on destroying the Labour movement from within.
This was as Sen Ireti Kingibe (LP, FCT) firmly denied reports that she defected from LP to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the new bride in the country’s political space.
The controversial photo, shared by Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, yesterday, sent political tongues wagging. But for the LP, it was the final nail.
Wike, former governor of Rivers State, is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but has been working with and supporting President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), even for his re-election.
In a scathing statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media to LP acting National Chairman, Ken Asogwa, the party exploded: “This man, Abure, is not one of us. He is a shameless opportunist, parading himself as chairman while rubbing shoulders with political saboteurs. He doesn’t speak for LP. He never did.”
According to Asogwa, while real leaders like Peter Obi are engaging Nigerians on pressing national issues and Sen Nenadi Usman representing the party’s interests abroad, Abure is “busy wining and dining with the very tyrants Nigerians rejected at the polls.
“Instead of standing with the people, he aligns with the architects of oppression, tyranny and electoral malpractice. He is not a leader; he is a willing pawn.”
Abure’s recent conduct, the party insists, is not new. It accused him of consistently abandoning the party during its most critical moments – missing in action during the Lagos local council elections, during the campaign flag-offs in Kogi, Edo and Anambra states, and nowhere to be found when party unity was needed most.
“He only shows up when it is time to strike deals or photo ops with those who seek to dismantle everything LP stands for,” the statement read.
The party maintained that Abure remains suspended, adding: “He holds no position, no mandate, no moral authority to speak for us. Let it be known, Julius Abure is not of the Labour Party.”
It also took a swipe at what it called Abure’s repeated acts of betrayal and double-dealing. “His romance with Wike and other enemies of progress raises only one question: Whose script is he reading from? Certainly, not that of the Nigerian people.”
Reaffirming its commitment to its founding ideals, LP called on supporters to remain vigilant. Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, Kingibe described the claims of her defection as “false, inaccurate and a complete fabrication.”
The confusion stemmed from her recent appearance at a major political coalition event, where opposition figures, including members of the LP, PDP, APC, and Social Democratic Party (SDP) adopted the ADC as a unified platform for the 2027 general elections.
At that gathering, Kingibe was quoted as saying, “I am totally and completely committed to ADC,” a comment widely interpreted as confirmation of defection.
But the senator has now clarified that the statement was made in support of the coalition’s ideals, not as a formal switch of party allegiance. “I am still in LP,” she said. “Just because I attend coalition events does not mean I have defected.”
Kingibe explained that her remarks about joining a new platform “with noise and fanfare” referred to the symbolic importance of any future political move, not an announcement of defection.
“Obviously, as the senator representing the FCT, don’t expect me to just take a lunch break and go collect a card,” she noted. “If I were to leave, it wouldn’t be done quietly.”
She reaffirmed her dedication to LP and to serving her constituents in the FCT, adding: “We, including Peter Obi and others, are still in LP. My commitment remains unchanged.”
