Court Adjourns Suit Seeking to Stop Ireti Kingibe From Parading as ADC Member

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday adjourned a suit seeking to stop Senator Ireti Kingibe from parading herself as a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The case was adjourned to June 9, 2026, for hearing.

Justice Peter Lifu fixed the date following an application for adjournment by counsel to the plaintiffs, I. G. Ogugwa.

Ogugwa, who stated that the matter was not a pre-election case when it was called, urged the court to grant a longer adjournment.

Earlier, on April 2, 2026, Justice Lifu had declined an application seeking an interim order restraining Kingibe from parading herself as an ADC member.

Instead, the court directed the plaintiffs to put the senator, who represents the FCT in the Senate, on notice to show cause why the reliefs sought should not be granted.

The matter had initially been adjourned to April 20, 2026, for the hearing of all pending applications, including a preliminary objection filed by Kingibe’s counsel, Marshall Abubakar.

The suit was instituted by two executive members of the ADC in Wuse Ward, Abuja—Mr Okezuo Kanayo, Chairman of the ward, and his Secretary, Mr Isaiah Samuel—with Kingibe listed as the sole defendant.

Through their lawyer, Kolawole Olowookere (SAN), the plaintiffs filed an ex-parte motion dated and submitted on March 17, 2026, seeking an interim injunction to restrain Kingibe from performing any functions or participating in activities reserved for ADC members, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

In their arguments, the plaintiffs maintained that although Kingibe is a serving senator, she remains a member of the ADC and is bound by its constitution.

Olowookere said that following what he described as substantiated allegations of anti-party activities, gross misconduct, and the physical seizure of the ward’s statutory records, the Wuse Ward Executive Committee suspended her on March 10.

According to him, the suspension followed due process as outlined in the party’s constitution and was ratified by a two-thirds majority of the executive committee.

He further alleged that Kingibe continued to hold parallel meetings and issue press statements as an ADC member.

The lawyer also claimed that the lawmaker used her security aides to intimidate ward executives, creating what he described as a state of anarchy.