Kogi Lawmaker Dumps ADC
A member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing prolonged internal crises, legal disputes, and leadership uncertainty within the party.
Abejide, who represents Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopamuro Federal Constituency of Kogi State, announced his decision on Friday while addressing journalists at his residence in Abuja.
Although he did not formally declare his next platform, he is widely expected to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming weeks.
Describing his exit as difficult but inevitable, the lawmaker said the move was necessary to safeguard his political future.
“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 loved dearly. It is good to lay the foundation of what necessitated the decision I took a few weeks ago, so that the general public will be aware and know what actually transpired,” he said.
He traced the party’s internal crisis to a lawsuit he filed in 2025 against key figures in the ADC leadership.
“Around August, 2025, I took the leaders of ADC coalition in the persons of Senator David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Chief Ralph Nwosu, and ADC as a party to Court.
“It was during the court’s long vacation that my lawyers approached the court and sought its approval to listen to the case, to get justice within a reasonable time frame, as the electoral activities leading to primary elections were coming closer,” he said.
According to him, the court granted an accelerated hearing.
“The judge obliged and granted us an accelerated hearing 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 said.
Abejide, who chairs the House Committee on Customs and Excise, accused the defendants of deliberately stalling proceedings.
“The defendants- 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 the Independent National Electoral Commission rolled out the timetable for political activities, for primaries elections and general elections in 2027,” he added.
He said the delays ultimately informed the legal advice he received.
“Due to long adjournment occasioned by the opposing counsel’s tactics to frustrate the speedy hearing of my suit, my counsel then advised I should be looking for an alternative party to pursue my political ambition,” he said.
The lawmaker also cited leadership challenges within the party, particularly the absence of duly recognised national officers, as a major concern.
“Confronted by the frustration aforesaid, that characterised the proceeding before the Federal High Court, my counsel further advised me that since ADC is leaderless and with the implication of not having a validly elected National Chairman and National Secretary respectively to sign my nomination forms, which is mandatory by law before one can become a valid candidate, I should seek an alternative platform to pursue my political ambition,” he said.
Addressing his constituents and supporters, Abejide alleged that the party had been taken over by external interests.
On his political future, he hinted at alignment with the agenda of Bola Tinubu.
“I have strenuously discussed, consulted, and dialogued with my political leaders, constituency supporters, and people who enjoy my vision and missions that are in tandem with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 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,” he said.
Abejide also addressed a viral video involving the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, which suggested he was encouraged to destabilise the ADC.
“I was not in ADC to scatter the party I laboured to build, contrary to the video where Rt Hon Gbajabiamila advised me to stay in ADC, contest my re-election, and fight for my rights and scatter the political marauders from the party.
“Gbajabiamila’s statement was made in a 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 good luck in court.
“He spoke in our usual way of joking among ourselves, even on our National Assembly Platform, where all of us chat and joke together,” he said.
