Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe, has accused political thugs of violently attacking her and other party officials during the African Democratic Congress (ADC) primaries in Abuja, describing the incident as a “premeditated ambush” and warning that political thuggery must not be allowed to replace democracy.
In a statement posted on her Facebook page on Sunday in Abuja, Kingibe said the incident occurred on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the ADC State Secretariat in Gudu, where she had gone to observe the distribution of materials for the party’s National Assembly primary elections.
She explained that the exercise initially proceeded peacefully until a man identified as Tijani Mubarak arrived with several men and disrupted proceedings.
“The moment he introduced himself, the Chairman asked if he was the individual who had been calling earlier in the day. Instantly, Mubarak became aggressively rude,” she said.
The Senator alleged that the situation escalated when the election committee chairman refused to tolerate the behaviour, leading to a physical assault.
“Violently slapped the Chairman of the Committee,” she stated.
She further alleged that a female aspirant who attempted to record the incident was attacked by the group and had her phone forcefully taken.
“Infuriated by this, Mubarak ordered his thugs to seize her phone,” she said, adding that the woman was manhandled in the process.
The senator also claimed she was physically assaulted during the incident.
“One of Mubarak’s men turned on me… grabbed me, and flung me violently against the wall, hitting my head with severe force,” she alleged.
According to her, the attackers locked the office door and trapped occupants inside before fleeing with the key, preventing escape.
“Realizing he was losing control of the room, Mubarak ran to the exit door, locked it, and trapped us inside with himself and his armed thugs,” she said.
Kingibe said supporters later forced entry into the building and helped rescue those inside after a violent scuffle outside the premises.
She added that she was later treated in hospital after experiencing severe headache and blurred vision, with doctors reportedly confirming head trauma.
Following the incident, she said she reported the matter to the ADC national leadership and lodged a formal complaint at the Apo Police Station in Abuja.
The senator called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those involved, urging security agencies to investigate what she described as a coordinated attack.
“I call upon the Inspector General of Police and the FCT Police Commissioner to immediately order the arrest, thorough investigation, and swift prosecution,” she said.
Ireti Kingibe also condemned violence against women in politics, insisting that the incident must not be ignored.
“The barbaric manhandling of a female aspirant and the physical assault on my person will not be swept under the carpet,” she said, adding that she remains “unbowed” despite the attack.
