The senator-elect for the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Heebah Kingibe, has a rich political history who has braved the odds and now finally has fulfilled her quest for elective office.
Born on June 2, 2023, Ireti will be 69 years old when she is sworn-in as senator later on June 11, 2023.
The Labour Party candidate was declared winner of the sole FCT senate seat after some controversies by the INEC.
The electoral commission announced that she scored 202,175 to defeat Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who had occupied the seat since 2011.
The INEC said Aduda polled 100,544 votes to come second, while the All Progressives Congress’ Angulu Dobi placed third with 78,905 votes
Before her landmark win, Ireti was a member of the PDP who defected from the All Progressives Congress in 2014.
She was in the main opposition party until 2022 when she left the party to join the Labour Party and became the FCT senatorial candidate for the 2023 general elections.
In the run up to the 2015 elections, she withdrew her membership of the PDP after Senate failing to secure the party’s ticket to run for s, and citing irregularities.
In a statement then, she said: “After a close observation of the PDP FCT House of Representatives primary elections, conducted on December 6, 2014, I have come to the conclusion that the PDP FCT senatorial primaries will be neither free nor fair.
“Therefore, I am withdrawing from the PDP FCT senatorial race.”
She added further: “As the PDP has failed to offer a free, fair and democratic platform, where all members can participate without fear or intimidation, I also withdraw from the membership of the party.”
The Abuja Inquirer learnt from sources in the PDP and APC that there will be challenging the result as the result from Abaji area council was cancelled, while that of Bwari that was initial rejected by the electoral commission was rectified and certified as valid by Prof. Sanni Saka, the Returning Officer for the 2023 FCT Senatorial district election held on Feb. 25.
Suleiman Ango, the APC agent and that of PDP, Abdulrahman Mohammed, refused to sign the result sheet saying it was not authentic.
