From Victor Osula, Abuja
Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ireti Kingibe, has accused one Tijani Mubarak and his associates of violently attacking her and other party members during a disturbance at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) state secretariat in Abuja.
In a statement issued to journalists on Sunday, Kingibe described the incident as “barbaric,” “premeditated,” and “a direct attack on democracy, the rule of law, and the safety of women participating in Nigerian politics.”
The senator alleged that she suffered head injuries after one of the attackers allegedly grabbed her and slammed her against a wall during the chaos that erupted at the party secretariat located at Adisa Estate, Gudu, Abuja, on Thursday.
According to Kingibe, the incident occurred around 3pm while she was at the secretariat in her capacity as the senator representing the FCT to observe the distribution of materials for the ADC National Assembly primary elections.
She said members of the primary election committee and several House of Representatives aspirants were already present when she arrived, adding that the exercise had commenced peacefully.
“Upon my arrival, the Primary Elections Committee was present, alongside three or four House of Representatives aspirants,” she stated.
“We held a brief, peaceful meeting where the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Abubakar Adams Chika, alongside the Committee Secretary, Mr. David Godwin Itopa, explained the process to us all and opened the election materials in our presence.”
Kingibe alleged that tension escalated after Tijani Mubarak entered the room and was questioned by the committee chairman over telephone calls allegedly made earlier in the day.
“Instantly, Mubarak became aggressively rude, raising his voice and speaking in an accusatory manner. When the chairman rightfully stated that he would not tolerate such disrespect and had nothing further to say to him, Mubarak stood up and violently slapped the chairman of the committee,” she alleged.
The senator further claimed that a female House of Representatives aspirant was assaulted after attempting to record the confrontation on her mobile phone.
“Seeing the danger, a female House of Representatives aspirant present began using her phone to record the altercation. Infuriated by this, Mubarak ordered his thugs to seize her phone.
“These men violently grabbed the female aspirant, lifting her entirely off the ground toward the ceiling as they aggressively wrestled her for the device, injuring her hands in the process,”she said.
Kingibe said she was also attacked while trying to intervene during the altercation.
“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 stated.
She disclosed that her security personnel intervened and prevented further assault.
“As the assailant advanced toward me to continue his assault, my security detail courageously stepped between us, engaging and fighting the thug to keep him away from me,” she added.
The senator further alleged that the attackers locked the exit doors of the building, effectively trapping those inside the premises.
“Realizing he was losing control of the room, Mubarak ran to the exit door, locked it, and trapped us inside with himself and his armed thugs,” she alleged
According to her, the situation became more tense after the main gate to the premises was also allegedly locked from outside.
“Upon reaching the ground floor, we discovered that Mubarak’s men had already locked the main exit door and fled with the key. This single action completely exposed their intent: this was a planned, deliberate, and premeditated ambush designed to hold us hostage and inflict maximum harm,” she claimed.
Kingibe said calm was eventually restored after party supporters confronted Mubarak, forcing him to flee the premises.
“The gridlock only eased when Mubarak, after being beaten by party supporters, finally fled the premises, freeing the office gate which he had blocked using his personal vehicle to prevent any vehicles from leaving,” she added.
The senator disclosed that she later reported the incident to the national leadership of the ADC and lodged a formal complaint at the Apo Police Station in Abuja.
She also revealed that she subsequently sought medical treatment at Wuse General Hospital after experiencing severe headaches and blurred vision.
“I went home and took some painkillers, but when I noticed that my vision was blurred and my headache was very bad, I went to Wuse General Hospital where the doctor said I had suffered severe trauma to my head,” she stated.
Kingibe called on the Inspector General of Police and the FCT Commissioner of Police to immediately arrest and prosecute Mubarak and all those allegedly involved in the incident.
“I call upon the Inspector General of Police and the FCT Police Commissioner to immediately order the arrest, thorough investigation, and swift prosecution of the individual known as Tijani Mubarak and all his accomplices.
“They must answer for criminal trespass, assault causing grievous bodily harm, holding us to ransom, and political thuggery,” she said.
She also demanded a comprehensive investigation into the incident, insisting that violence against women in politics must not be tolerated.
“As one of the few women serving in the Nigerian Parliament, and as a champion for women’s rights, I state categorically that the barbaric manhandling of female aspirants and the physical assault on my person will not be swept under the carpet.
“ I am shaken but entirely unbowed. Cowardly acts of violence will never deter me from performing my constitutional duties or standing up for transparency and justice in our capital,” she stated.
