Abuja Federal High Court Delays Case Against Senator Kingibe Over ADC Membership
The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned a legal challenge seeking to prevent Senator Ireti Kingibe from presenting herself as a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) until June 9, 2026.
Justice Peter Lifu set the new hearing date following an adjournment request from the plaintiffs’ counsel, I. G. Ogugwa, who argued the case required a longer timeframe for proper adjudication.
The court had previously, on April 2, 2026, declined to grant an interim order barring Kingibe from acting as an ADC member. Instead, Justice Lifu directed the plaintiffs to formally notify Kingibe to appear and explain why the court should not grant their demands. The matter was then adjourned to April 20, 2026, to hear all pending applications, including a preliminary objection filed by the senator’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar.
The suit was initiated by two executive members of the ADC in Wuse Ward, Abuja — Mr Okezuo Kanayo, the ward chairman, and Mr Isaiah Samuel, the secretary. They filed an ex-parte motion through their lawyer, Kolawole Olowookere, SAN, dated and filed on March 17, 2026.
In their motion, the plaintiffs sought an interim injunction to stop Kingibe from performing any party-related functions or participating in ADC activities pending the substantive case’s determination.
They argued that although Kingibe serves as a sitting senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, she remains bound by ADC’s constitution as a party member. The plaintiffs claim she was suspended on March 10, 2026, by the Wuse Ward Executive Committee following allegations of anti-party activities, misconduct, and the alleged confiscation of the ward’s official records. They assert the suspension followed due process under the party’s constitution and was ratified by a two-thirds majority of the executive committee.
Olowookere alleged that Kingibe has continued to hold parallel meetings, issue press statements as an ADC member, and used her security personnel to intimidate ward executives, contributing to a breakdown of order within the party structure at the local level.
The case has drawn attention as it pits a high-profile lawmaker against her own party’s internal disciplinary mechanisms, with potential implications for party discipline and the conduct of elected officials within political parties in Nigeria.
