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…cites party rifts and blocked ambitions, keeps next move under wraps

By Gloria Ikibah

The lawmaker representing Yagba East, Yagba West and Mopamuro Federal Constituency in Kogi State, Rep. Leke Abejide, has parted ways with the African Democratic Congress following a period of internal unrest within the party.

His decision comes against the backdrop of lingering disputes, leadership uncertainty and mounting tensions, which he believes have made it increasingly difficult to pursue his political goals

While confirming his departure, the federal legislator stopped short of revealing his next political destination, leaving observers speculating about his future alignment.

Speaking on the development, Abejide indicated that the move, though difficult, was driven by the need to safeguard his political trajectory and continue advancing the interests of his constituency.

“It is a painful decision but necessary to save my political future from those who came to destroy my former political party that I laboured hard to nurture and love dearly. It is good to lay the foundation of what necessitated the decision I took few weeks ago so that the general public will be aware and know what actually transpired”, he said.

The lawmaker traced the crisis to a legal action he initiated in 2025 involving key party figures.

“Around August, 2025, I took the Leaders of ADC Coalition in persons of Senator David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Chief Ralph Nwosu and ADC as a party to Court.

“It was during the Court long vacation that my Lawyers approached the Court and sought the Court approval to listen to the case, so as to get justice within a reasonable time frame as the electoral activities leading to Primary elections were coming closer.

“The Judge obliged and granted us accelerated hearing in order to determine the case so that each party to the case can go ahead either with ADC or find another platform to achieve his or her political ambition“, he explained further.

However, he accused the defendants of deliberately frustrating the case.

“However, the defendants who are David Mark and others kept sending different people to join my case as a way to delay the matter from being adjudicated upon by the Judge up to the time Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rolled out Timetable for political activities, for Primaries Elections and General Elections in 2027.

“Due to long adjournment, occasioned by the opposing Counsel tactics to frustrate the speedy hearing of my suit, my counsel then advised me I should be looking for an alternative party to pursue my political ambition”, he stated.

Abejide further stated that leadership challenges within the party deepened the crisis and alleged a deliberate attempt to undermine his political trajectory within the party.

“Confronted by the frustration aforesaid, that characterized the proceeding before the Federal High Court, my Counsel further advised me that since ADC is leaderless and with the implication of not having validly elected National Chairman and National Secretary respectively to sign my nomination form which is mandatory by law before one can become a valid candidate, I should seek for an alternative platform to pursue my political ambition.

“It was then the mission of ADC Coalition was clear to me that their intention was not to grow the party, but to ensure people like me who have been contesting on the platform of African Democratic Congress since 2019, without defecting to any political party and had been winning when ADC was relatively unknown and do not have a political platform, to achieve my political ambition but they have failed, I have since moved on“, he said.

Addressing Nigerians and his constituents, Abejide said, “My fellow Nigerians, my esteemed loyal supporters in Yagba Federal Constituency in particular, in Kogi State, Nigeria at large and indeed across the globe, it is necessary to address you on the current imbroglio besetting my former political party ADC over nine months ago when the party was unlawfully hijacked by politicians that were chased out of political parties they could not manage, yet wanted to rule a macro ecosystem like Nigeria.

“The uncertainties in ADC necessitated filling a suit in Federal High Court as aforementioned in furtherance of my constitutional rights to associate freely and to be a member of the political party of my choice.

“I joined ADC, nurtured it to a National recognition as a political party with representation in both National and State Assemblies. The party structure were funded by me as then National Leader of the Party which I have willingly relinquish to the current National Chairman Hon Nafiu Bala and I wish him good luck as he will continue to fight for his rights in Court. Our mission and vision was to produce a party we can be proud of, unfortunately, man proposes God disposes.

“I have strenuously discussed, consulted and dialogued with my political leaders, constituency supporters and people that enjoy my vision and missions that are in tandern with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, The President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces Federal Republic of Nigeria and I am ready to continue my support for this Progressive Club.

“I have prayed earnestly on this and the leading of the Holy Bible provides the leading light in the Book of Isaiah 9:10 ‘The bricks are fallen down but we will build with hewn stones. The sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars’.

“I have decided to change the bricks that are fallen down in ADC to hewn stones in a better political Party to have a good structure that will benefit my people and equally to change my sycamore tree in ADC to a strong enduring cedar of political certainty,” he said.

On reports of expulsion, he dismissed them outright.

“Recently, on the 14th April, 2026 to be precise, I was purportedly proclaimed by the people that wanted to reap where they did not sow as being expelled. I wish to state that I have willingly and voluntarily exited and had since extinguished my membership of ADC by Constitutional method permitted under ADC Constitution.

“My political structure has put machinery in place for actualization of my political ambition and further provisions of dividends of democracy through a platform that can accommodate that vision,” he said.

Abejide also addressed a viral video involving Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, clarifying its interpretation.

“Before I conclude this short address, let me put on record that I was not in ADC to scatter the party I laboured more abundantly to build contrary to the video going viral where RT. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President advised me to stay in ADC, contest my reelection and fight for my rights and scatter the political marauders from the party.

“RT. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila statement was made in jovial manner; not meaning to destroy any political party and it was quoted out of context. He was even begging me not to leave my party and wished me goodluck in Court. He spoke in our usual way of joking among ourselves even on our National Assembly Platform where all of us chats and joke together.”

“For anyone to now say it is a judicial intervention or trying to bring down our democracy; it is a height of absurdity. Clearly, there cannot be a bigger democrat than RT. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila. He is still till date number one opposition that I have even seen from National Assembly who believed in democracy as has been testified to by many”, he clarified further.

Abejide further accused internal party actors of undermining democratic structures.

“Rather the party hijackers are the ones who came to scatter all the people they met on ground by expelling this or that person without recourse to the Constitution of the party which can be attested to and given credence to my fear as expressed by the recent Federal High Court judgement delivered by Hon Justice Joyece Abdulmalik dated Wednesday 29th April,2026.

“Finally, I want to appreciate you all for standing by me in the trying times of building a virile political party that was ‘bandictrilly’ hijacked by people that are habitually known for that attitude since this democracy started in 1999. On this note, I am officially informing you that I had since moved out of ADC to pursue my future political ambition”, he stated.