Leke Abejide, the lawmaker representing Yagba federal constituency of Kogi state in the House of Representatives, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing internal crisis and alleged takeover by an opposition coalition.
Gatekeepers News reports that Abejide, who was elected twice on the ADC platform, announced his resignation during a press conference in Abuja on Friday.
“I joined ADC, nurtured it to national recognition as a political party with representation in both national and state assemblies. The party structure was funded by me as the then national leader of the party, which I have willingly relinquished to the current national chairman, Honourable Nafiu Bala Gombe, and I wish him good luck as he continues to fight for his rights in court,” he said.
“I have decided to change the broken bricks in the ADC and become a cornerstone in a better political party with a strong structure that will benefit my people.”
His exit comes on the heels of the leadership tussle within the party, following a Supreme Court ruling that returned the matter to the lower court for determination.
Abejide also referenced the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which he said reinstated the David Mark-led leadership after the court’s decision.
He accused Mark and members of an opposition coalition of “hijacking” the party, a development he said informed his decision to challenge the situation legally.
“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,” Abejide said.
The lawmaker added that, amid the ongoing crisis, his legal team advised him to leave the party to protect his political future, a recommendation he said he has followed.
Abejide, however, declined to reveal his next political destination, noting that his plans would be made public soon.
“You will know any moment from now where I am heading to. Maybe by the time I obtain my form, it will be clear to you,” he said.
