Senator Ireti Kingibe has alleged that she was physically attacked and briefly held hostage by political thugs at the African Democratic Congress secretariat in Gudu, Abuja.
The senator representing the Federal Capital Territory said the incident occurred around 3 p.m. on May 21, 2026, while she was at the ADC state secretariat to monitor the distribution of materials for the party’s National Assembly primary elections.
Kingibe said trouble started when a man identified as Tijani Mubarak entered the room with four other men. According to her, Mubarak became aggressive after a brief exchange with the committee chairman and slapped the chairman.
“As I witnessed this lawlessness, one of Mubarak’s men turned on me. He reached out, grabbed me, and flung me violently against the wall, hitting my head against the wall with severe force,” she narrated in a statement shared on X.
She added that Mubarak’s thugs also attacked a female House of Representatives aspirant who was recording the incident. The senator described the attack as “a shocking, barbaric, and deeply unprovoked act of political thuggery and violence.”
Kingibe said she and other party officials were present for what had started as a peaceful meeting to explain the election process and open materials before the disruption occurred.
