Senator Ireti Kingibe, the lawmaker representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the National Assembly, has vehemently denied allegations that she is sponsoring the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests in Abuja.
A viral video had suggested that she was behind the protests, but Senator Kingibe has dismissed the claim as “misinformation”.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Senator Kingibe expressed her shock and outrage at the “blatant lies” being spread by “mischief-makers”.
She explained that the video being circulated was actually from over six weeks ago, during a Labour Party NWC meeting when the NLC was protesting outside the Labour Party office.
The lawmaker said: “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 were leading protests in Abuja yesterday. This is a malicious and desperate attempt to discredit us,” she said.
“Let me set the record straight: 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. I condemn this orchestrated attempt to spread falsehoods and cause confusion, using it as the basis to claim I sponsored the Abuja protest.
“It is a shameless and irresponsible act that will not be tolerated. We will not stand idly by while our names and reputations are dragged through the mud by these unscrupulous individuals.”
Senator Kingibe’s denial comes amidst ongoing protests in Abuja, with demonstrators calling for an end to bad governance. The protests have been peaceful, but the allegations against Senator Kingibe had threatened to politicize the movement. With her denial, it is clear that the protests are a grassroots movement and not politically motivated.