Senator Ireti Kingibe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, has denied allegations that she sponsored the #EndBadGovernance protest in Abuja.
Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), brought these claims to the public’s attention, stating that security agencies had identified a lawmaker providing support to the protestors.
According to Wike, the unnamed senator was accused of supplying the protesters with incentives such as food and water.
However, Senator Kingibe clarified that the video used to support these allegations was recorded six weeks prior during the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) protests at the National Headquarters of the Labour Party in Abuja.
She emphasized that her involvement was with the NLC protests, not the recent #EndBadGovernance protest.
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”
