Senator Kingibe Dismisses Allegations of Sponsoring Protest

Senator Ireti Kingibe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, has refuted claims that she sponsored the recent anti-government protests in Abuja.

The allegations surfaced after Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike claimed during an emergency FCT security council meeting that a senator was involved in providing incentives to the protesters.

Wike alleged that the senator, who was unnamed, had been supplying protesters with food and water.

However, Senator Kingibe has vehemently denied these accusations. In a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Media, Kennedy Mbele, Kingibe clarified that a video circulating online was recorded over six weeks ago during a Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) protest at the Labour Party headquarters in Abuja.

“I am shocked and outraged by the blatant lies and misinformation being spread by mischief-makers!” Kingibe said.

“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.”

Kingibe further explained that, as a stakeholder, she, along with other leaders, engaged with the protesters during that time.

“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,” she added.

She clarified that both she and Mr. Peter Obi, who is currently in Anambra State, were not involved in the Abuja protests.

“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,” Kingibe stated.

Kingibe condemned the spread of falsehoods and attempted discrediting.

“This is a malicious and desperate attempt to discredit us,” she said.

“We will not stand idly by while our names and reputations are dragged through the mud by these unscrupulous individuals.”

She urged the public to disregard the misleading video and referred to her recent interview with Channels Television for her clear stance on the #EndBadGovernance protest.