Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has urged the lawmaker representing Yagba Federal Constituency, Leke Abejide, to remain in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and “fight and scatter” forces seeking to wrest control of the party from him.
Mr Gbajabiamila made the remark at a dinner held in Abuja over the weekend in honour of Mr Abejide’s wife, Esther Abejide, a deaconess, who marked her 50th birthday.
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His comments come amid mounting political realignments and pressure on opposition figures ahead of the next election cycle.
In his remarks, the chief of staff framed Mr Abejide as a rare political figure who had sustained electoral success outside the dominance of major parties, noting that his victories on the platform of the ADC were a testament to both personal political capital and grassroots acceptance.
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He said Mr Abejide’s trajectory, emerging as a lone ADC lawmaker at a point and later expanding the party’s presence, demonstrated uncommon political grit.
According to him, winning elections in Kogi, a state known for fiercely contested polls, under a relatively less prominent platform underscored the lawmaker’s resilience and organisational strength.
“I know you to be a committed party man, a fighter who does not like to be cheated,” Mr Gbajabiamila said. “My charge to you is to stay in that same ADC. Fight them. Scatter them. Hold on to your party, ADC. Do not allow them. We like what you are doing. Continue.”
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In what appeared to be a direct response to ongoing political overtures, he added: “Don’t let the former governor say that you should come and join the APC. Stay in the ADC. Win your election in the ADC as you will. Bring Gombe. We will support him. Bring him. Do the right thing. You are a fighter. Do the right thing.
“Nobody can come and take your party away from you. A party that you’ve been to for years with your sweat and your money and everything. No. Continue. Good luck in court.”
However, in a contrasting message, the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, appealed to the lawmaker to return to the APC, praising his political loyalty and performance.
Mr Bello recounted Mr Abejide’s earlier political attempts under the APC, noting that setbacks did not deter him from pursuing his ambitions.
“Honourable Leke Abejide sought to be a member of the House of Representatives on the platform of APC then, and there were some mathematical miscalculations. But that never stopped him. He came a second time and he is performing and touching lives across the board,” he said.
The former governor also referenced Mr Abejide’s governorship ambition in Kogi State, describing it as part of a learning curve in the state’s complex political terrain.
“Honourable Leke Abejide did not lose. He only came to learn the act of politicking, especially for governorship at that level in Kogi State,” Mr Bello said.
He commended the lawmaker for supporting the current administration in the state after the election, despite pressure from supporters to challenge the outcome in court.
According to him, Mr Abejide chose to collapse his political structures in support of the eventual winner, a move he described as a demonstration of political maturity.
Mr Bello further acknowledged the lawmaker’s support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration, noting that it extended beyond party lines.
“Despite belonging to ADC, he has been supporting our president actively, both physically and covertly,” he said.
READ ALSO: FOR THE RECORD: Femi Gbajabiamila’s valedictory speech as Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives (2019-2023).
The former governor concluded by calling on Mr Abejide and his supporters in Yagba Federal Constituency to return to the APC.
“We want Leke back in APC,” he said, adding that the appeal had the backing of the current Kogi State leadership.
Abejide’s journey
Mr Abejide’s political journey into the ADC followed an earlier attempt to secure a seat in the House of Representatives under the APC, where he was unsuccessful in clinching the ticket. The setback prompted his move to the ADC ahead of the 2019 general elections.
That decision proved decisive. Running on the ADC platform, he won election into the House of Representatives in 2019, marking the party’s entry into the lower chamber from Kogi State and positioning himself as one of its most visible figures nationally.
Since then, Mr Abejide has remained in the ADC and consolidated his hold on the Yagba Federal Constituency seat.
He was re-elected in 2023 on the same platform, making it two consecutive terms under the party, a rare feat for a lawmaker outside the dominant political parties.
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