••Accuses Faction of Illegally Hijacking Party Leadership
Hon. Leke Abejide, a chieftain and the national leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has firmly rejected any coalition involving the party. In a statement, Abejide dismissed reports of his suspension by a faction of the ADC in Kogi State, calling the action “invalid and lacking legal standing.”
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Abejide, who represents the Yagba Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, stated that the suspension announced by the State Working Committee, led by Mr. Kingsley Ogga, was illegitimate. According to Abejide, Ogga was expelled from the party in 2022 and therefore has no authority to act as chairman or convene any meeting in the name of the ADC.
The two-term federal lawmaker accused Ogga and his allies of a “kangaroo meeting” held at the residence of Senator Tunde Ogbeha, whom Abejide alleges is wrongly parading himself as the new state leader. Abejide pointed to the ADC constitution, which he says requires at least two years of party membership to hold a leadership position unless a waiver is granted by the National Executive Committee (NEC). He maintained that this process has not occurred.
Abejide expressed his dismay, alleging that the party’s National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, was being undermined by “meddlesome interlopers” attempting to hijack the party structure. He emphasized that the ADC would not be available for an unapproved coalition and advised those involved to “go and register their new party—ADA.”
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Describing the alleged coalition and leadership takeover as “dead on arrival,” Abejide revealed that he has initiated legal action to challenge the legitimacy of the new leadership. He noted that if Chief Nwosu intends to resign, the party’s constitution outlines a clear succession plan where the Deputy National Chairman (South) should act as chairman until a proper NEC meeting is convened.
As the highest-ranking elected officer of the party, Abejide insisted that he was neither consulted nor informed of any decisions regarding a change in leadership. He announced plans to hold a press conference in the coming days to address the matter publicly and re-affirm the party’s need to abide by its constitution. “The mistake has been made, and it cannot be corrected. We will show them the way out,” he concluded.
