The chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Omale Sule, has alleged that the party’s senator for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe, received N100 million from the national secretariat immediately before the recent area council elections but failed to deploy the funds for party activities.
Sule made the claims during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, stating that the local chapter had no visibility of the money. His accusations coincide with a separate legal challenge by the FCT ADC chapter, which has approached the Federal High Court to stop Kingibe from presenting herself as a legitimate member of the party.
According to Sule, the central disbursement to the senator bypassed the established party structure in the territory. “We heard that N100 million was given to Senator Ireti Kingibe from ADC National just before the FCT local government election, but we never saw anything from her,” Sule said. He criticised Kingibe for operating independently of the official party hierarchy, contrasting her behaviour with that of senior national figures who, he noted, typically engage with their ward-level structures even when unable to attend meetings personally.
The internal rift has escalated to the courts. The FCT ADC chapter’s lawsuit seeks a declaration that Kingibe is not a valid member of the party, a move that could formally strip her of her party affiliation and any associated leadership roles. This action underscores the deepening discord between the senator and the state-level party leadership.
Kingibe, who won the FCT senatorial seat in the 2023 elections under the ADC banner, has not publicly responded to the specific funding allegation. The party’s national leadership also remained silent on the matter.
The ADC is a minor opposition party in the FCT, where the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dominate. Kingibe’s election victory was a notable gain for the ADC in the territory. The current dispute threatens the party’s cohesion ahead of future electoral cycles, including the next general elections.
The legal proceedings will determine the formal status of the senator within the party. Meanwhile, Sule’s allegations raise questions about the management and allocation of party finances at the national level. Both the court case and the public accusation highlight significant governance and transparency issues within the ADC’s FCT chapter, potentially impacting its organisational strength and electoral viability in the capital region.
