Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has publicly accused political thugs of a violent and "premeditated ambush" against her and other officials of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) during the party's National Assembly primary elections in Abuja. The incident, which Kingibe detailed in a statement posted on her Facebook page on Sunday, took place on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the ADC State Secretariat in Gudu.

According to Senator Kingibe, she was present at the secretariat to observe the distribution of materials for the primary elections, an exercise that initially proceeded without incident. However, the situation quickly deteriorated with the arrival of a man identified as Tijani Mubarak, accompanied by several other individuals. Kingibe stated that Mubarak became "aggressively rude" after the Chairman of the election committee inquired if he was the person who had been calling earlier in the day.

The FCT Senator alleged that the confrontation escalated into physical violence when the election committee chairman refused to tolerate Mubarak's behavior. She explicitly stated that Mubarak " violently slapped the Chairman of the Committee." Furthermore, a female aspirant who attempted to document the unfolding events by recording them on her phone was reportedly attacked. Kingibe claimed that Mubarak "ordered his thugs to seize her phone," and the woman was "manhandled in the process."

Senator Kingibe herself was not spared from the alleged assault. She recounted a harrowing experience, stating, "One of Mubarak’s men turned on me… grabbed me, and flung me violently against the wall, hitting my head with severe force." Following these attacks, Kingibe alleged that the assailants compounded the danger by locking the office door, thereby trapping her and other occupants inside before fleeing the premises with the key. She described this as an intentional act, stating Mubarak "ran to the exit door, locked it, and trapped us inside with himself and his armed thugs."

The trapped individuals were eventually rescued after supporters outside forced their way into the building following a scuffle. Senator Kingibe later received medical treatment for severe headache and blurred vision, with doctors reportedly confirming head trauma as a result of the incident. In the aftermath, Kingibe confirmed that she has reported the matter to the national leadership of the ADC and has filed a formal complaint at the Apo Police Station in Abuja.

In her statement, Senator Kingibe issued a strong call for justice, urging security agencies to launch an immediate and thorough investigation into what she characterized as a "coordinated attack." She demanded the "immediate arrest, thorough investigation, and swift prosecution" of all those involved. The Senator also vehemently condemned the escalating violence against women in politics, emphasizing that the "barbaric manhandling of a female aspirant and the physical assault on my person will not be swept under the carpet." Despite the traumatic experience, Senator Kingibe affirmed her resolve, declaring herself "unbowed."