Wuse Ward officials allege the senator confiscated party registers, skipped meetings and failed to pay dues — charges the ADC national leadership says were never properly processed

Ward-level officials of the African Democratic Congress have filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking a court order to stop FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe from presenting herself as a member of the party while a disputed suspension against her remains in force.

The originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/539/2026, was filed on behalf of the Wuse Ward Executive Committee through lawyer Maxwell Opara. The plaintiffs are the ward chairman, Okezuo Godfrey Kanayo, and ward secretary, Isaiah Ojonugwa Samuel.

Senator Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory in the National Assembly, is listed as the sole defendant.

In a supporting affidavit, Samuel stated that the Ward Executive Committee received complaints in 2026 about Kingibe's conduct and convened a general meeting on March 10 to review her activities since joining the party.

The committee identified four alleged infractions: wilfully confiscating the ward membership register in breach of party constitutional provisions; persistent absence from ward meetings; failure to pay statutory membership fees, dues and levies; and engaging in anti-party activities, insubordination and making public statements the committee said were capable of bringing the party into disrepute.

Following deliberations, Samuel stated, the committee resolved by a two-thirds majority to suspend Kingibe indefinitely. The suspension was subsequently communicated to her and to relevant party organs, according to the affidavit.

The suit raises four issues for the court's determination and seeks six reliefs.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that the Wuse Ward Executive Committee holds constitutional authority to discipline and suspend members within its jurisdiction; that Kingibe's suspension is valid and currently subsisting; and that she cannot lawfully present herself as a member or card-carrying member of the ADC for the duration of the suspension.

They are also seeking a declaration that the ADC's National Working Committee cannot lawfully recognise Kingibe as a party member at any level while the suspension remains in place, validation of the ward committee's suspension decision, and a perpetual injunction restraining her from parading as a party member pending final resolution of her disciplinary status.

The ADC's national leadership has publicly distanced itself from the ward committee's suspension move. In statements issued around March 11 and 12, national officials described the suspension as unauthorised and said proper internal party procedures had not been followed. Some party sources characterised the ward faction behind the action as lacking the authority to discipline a sitting senator.

Senator Kingibe had not publicly responded to the suit at the time of this report.

The Federal High Court has not yet fixed a hearing date.