I didn’t sponsor protest in Abuja – Senator Kingibe

CHAIRMAN, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Ireti Kingibe, LP, FCT has dismissed the allegation that she sponsored protest in Abuja.

Yesterday, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Nyesom Wike, said that security agencies in the territory have identified a senator as one of those sponsoring the anti-government protest.

Wike disclosed this shortly after an emergency FCT security Council meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

The unnamed Senator was said to be supplying the protesters incentives such as food and water.

However, Senator Kingibe has said that the video being misrepresented was recorded six weeks ago during the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) protests at the National headquarters of the LP in Abuja.

In a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Kennedy Mbele, Senator Kingibe said, “I am shocked and outraged by the blatant lies and misinformation being spread by mischief-makers! 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.

“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.@PeterObi and I are leading protests in Abuja yesterday.

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

“Recall that Mr. Peter Obi had in a statement explained that he was in his State, Anambra yesterday and as such, cannot be in Abuja and Anambra State simultaneously.

We therefore urge the general public to ignore the malicious video as our amiable Senator has made her position on the #endbadgovernance protest clear, in her most recent interview with Channels Television.”

Vanguard