Ireti Kingibe: Nigerian politician who caused massive upset in FCT’s political dynamics
For years, many people felt that the sole senatorial seat belonging to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was untouchable. Several persons had tried to upset the cart, but the incumbent remained gallant. But then came Ireti Kingibe, who, despite being told that she has ” a snowball’s chance in Hell”, jumped through the hoops and proved naysayers wrong.
She broke a 12-year jinx and the constituents of Nigeria’s capital are set to see a new face as their representative, particularly in a country where seeing women in top political positions is hard to come by.
Let us, therefore, take our readers on this journey to see how Ireti Kingibe achieved the previously deemed improbable feat and how she says she is determined to make a change in politics for Abuja residents and women in politics.
Ireti Kingibe biography
Ireti Heebah Kingibe was born on June 2, 1954. She is the younger sister of Ajoke Mohammed the wife of the murdered Nigerian head of state, Murtala Mohammed.
Kingibe attended Emotan Preparatory School for her elementary education. She started her secondary school education at Queens College, Lagos, before she relocated to the United States of America and completed her studies at Washington Irving High School. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1980.
She is a civil engineer and a politician. She is currently the Senator-elect for the FCT under the Labour Party.
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Ireti Kingibe career
Kingibe’s career did not start with politics. She worked as a Quality Control Engineer with Bradley Precast Concrete, Minnesota, in 1978. In 1979, she joined the Roads and Highway Designer in the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
From 1981 to 1982, Kingibe came back to Nigeria to participate in her mandatory youth service year. During this period, she worked at the Nigerian Air Force base in Ikeja, Lagos, as a project Supervisor. After her service, she was engaged by the New Nigerian Construction Company in 1982. By 1985, she started switched to become a consultant for Belsam Limited.
Growing in rank and with experience to show for it, she became the regional engineer of Lodigiani Nigeria Limited Lagos from 1990 to 1994. She is currently a senior Partner at Kelnic Associates, which is situated in Abuja.
Ireti Kingibe’s net worth
Kingibe, according to media reports, has an estimated net worth of N100 million.
Ireti Kingibe politics
Kingibe’s political career started back in the 90s. In 1990, Ireti was appointed as Adviser to the National Chairman of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Upon Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, Kingibe became the senatorial candidate of the FCT under the now-defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) in 2003. She, however, lost the election.
Three years after she lost the election, she defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). But following her inability to upset the cart in the party, she joined the newly-formed opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in 2014. She contested in the APC’s primary for the FCT senatorial seat but lost out.
In an interview with THISDAY in 2018, Kingibe made it known that her love for the people of FCT, her desire to serve and her drive to see a change in the politics of the country is what is propelling her to want a seat in the Senate.
“I still think I stand a very good chance for the simple reason that I have been in FCT politics actively since 2003. At no point did I leave politics Secondly, because I believe that politics is about service to the people and it’s a journey, not a destination, so, despite that, I didn’t get to go to the Senate at the time, but I still showed interest in the welfare of the FCT and its people,” she said.
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Still desirous of and pushing to make a change, Kingibe joined the Labour Party (LP) in 2022. She won the party’s primary and became the LP’s candidate for the Senate seat in the 2023 general election. Against all odds, Kingibe defeated the incumbent, Phillip Aduda of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in what was a tight contest. Professor Sanni Saka, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer, announced that Kingibe polled 202,175 votes to emerge the winner.
Following her win, Kingibe, while speaking to the Vanguard, stated that she is not in politics for the money. She subsequently pledged to donate her salary to a special fund to tackle infrastructural deficits in rural communities in the FCT.
Ireti Kingibe family
Ireti Kingibe is the ex-wife of a former Secretary to the Federal Government, Babagana Kingibe. Kingibe has three children: two boys and a girl, with her former husband.
She is also the younger sister to Ajoke Mohammed, the wife of Nigeria’s former head of state Murtala Mohammed.
Ireti Kingibe age
Kingibe was born on June 2, 1954. She is currently 68 years old and will turn 69 in 2023.
Ireti Kingibe religion
Kingibe’s religion is Islam. She was born to a Muslim father and a Christian mother, but she chose to follow the path of her father.
Ireti Kingibe tribe
Kingibe’s tribe is very interesting because her parents have unique tribal connections to different states. Her father is half Fulani and half Yoruba. While her mother has links to Delta and Bonny in Rivers State. However, she sees herself as the detribalised, model Nigerian.
Ireti Kingibe is one female politician who is here to hopefully make a change not just with her words, but with her actions. She is not scared to take a leap and Nigerians, particularly FCT residents, are eager to see the steps and decisions that she would take to better their lives.
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