Senator Ireti Kingibe Refutes Allegations of Sponsoring Abuja Protest
By Senator Ireti Kingibe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs and representative of the FCT, has dismissed allegations that she sponsored a protest in Abuja.
The controversy arose after Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), claimed that security agencies had identified a senator as one of the sponsors of an anti-government protest. Wike made this announcement following an emergency FCT Security Council meeting on Thursday in Abuja, stating that the unnamed senator was providing protesters with incentives such as food and water.
Senator Kingibe responded by clarifying that a video being circulated, purportedly showing her involvement, was actually recorded six weeks ago during Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) protests at the Labour Party headquarters in Abuja.
In a statement released by her Special Assistant on Media, Kennedy Mbele, Senator Kingibe expressed her shock and outrage at the false accusations. She stated, “The video being circulated is from over six weeks ago, during a Labour Party NWC meeting, when the NLC was protesting outside the Labour Party office. As stakeholders, including Senators, House of Reps members, and Mr. Peter Obi, we went out to engage with the protesters and address their concerns. Now, these deceitful individuals are trying to pass off this old footage as current, claiming that Mr. Peter Obi and I are leading protests in Abuja yesterday.”
Senator Kingibe further clarified, “This is a malicious and desperate attempt to discredit us. Mr. Peter Obi is not in Abuja, and I haven’t left my house since Wednesday due to illness, much less distributed food and water at the protest grounds, though that would be noble for whoever did.”
She condemned the attempts to spread falsehoods and cause confusion, labeling them as shameless and irresponsible acts. “We will not stand idly by while our names and reputations are dragged through the mud by these unscrupulous individuals,” she asserted.
Senator Kingibe also reminded the public of Mr. Peter Obi’s statement, explaining that he was in Anambra State on the day in question, making it impossible for him to be in both Anambra and Abuja simultaneously.
She urged the general public to ignore the malicious video and reiterated her stance on the #endbadgovernance protest in her most recent interview with Channels Television.
