A member of the House of Representatives, representing the Yagba Federal Constituency, Honourable Leke Abejide, has dismissed claims describing him as a “party spoiler”, insisting instead that he has remained loyal to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) since 2017 and contributed significantly to its survival and development.
Recall that Abejide recently defected from the ADC to the APC after months of reported internal disagreements within the ADC, including leadership disputes and ongoing structural tensions that had divided the party.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Hon. Abejide said his role in the party has been that of a builder, adding that he helped sustain the ADC through challenging periods, including legal battles over its registration status.
“I’m not a political spoiler. I’ve been with the ADC since 2017 and haven’t defected until others joined and failed to recognize those of us who were already there—even though I won my election when other minor parties couldn’t. I’m a party builder. The ADC would have been de-registered long ago if not for me. My name was even used to defend the party in court when people tried to de-register it for not winning any seats,” he said.
Abejide further explained that his movement between parties was driven by political realities, noting he was previously in APC before joining ADC after a Kogi State dispute.
” I was in the APC before I joined the ADC; I only moved to the ADC after a disagreement in Kogi State following the death of Prince Abubakar Audu.”
He described his return to APC as a difficult but strategic decision, arguing that opposition parties like PDP and Labour Party are weakened, while APC remains the most stable platform for winning and sustaining elections.
“It’s a strategy to avoid political collapse. In the ADC, your chances are 50/50. If the court validates one faction over another, whoever won under the wrong platform could lose their seat. My legal counsel advised me that if I didn’t want to end my political career, I should find an alternative party. It wasn’t just me who left. Others left too. Moving back to the APC was a painful but necessary decision to save my political future. The PDP is non-existent, and the Labour Party is fragmented. The APC is the only party where you can win an election and have it stick,” he explained.
Speaking on the issue of “godfatherism” in Nigerian politics, Abejide said it is an unavoidable part of the political system, arguing that most politicians rely on experienced leaders for guidance and direction.
“You can’t take it away from politics. You must have someone you look up to,” he stated.
He added that strong leadership within a party is essential for stability and electoral success, noting that without a central authority capable of making difficult decisions, political parties risk disorganisation and defeat.
“Any party without a leader who can say ‘this is right’ or ‘this is wrong’ won’t survive. The APC has a leader who knows politics well. It was a calculation—if you leave it to chance, the party loses more members.”
On what makes him the right candidate for the Yagba Federal Constituency House of Representatives seat, Leke Abejide pointed to his track record of constituency development and long-standing grassroots engagement.
“I’m contesting for my House of Reps position again in Yagba Federal Constituency under the APC. The local government chairmen and party supporters even obtained the form for me. It’s a homecoming. We’re going to give the President at least 95% of our registered votes.
“Before I came into government, I started paying WAEC fees for all the students in public and private schools. All! I don’t want to know which party you belong to, I don’t want to know which religion you belong to, I make sure I take those responsibilities. Then, the widows. I make sure I know all of them. I may not be able to see them face-to-face, but I know that each community has numbers of widows and I take care of all of them. I have over 10,000 of them.
“In fact, there’s a program I’m going for, I’m going to step into every community in my federal constituency. I’ve never had a face-to-face interface with the widows before; I only sent to them. But this time, I have a package for them and I want to see them face-to-face, except those who are too old to come out.
“When it comes to physical infrastructure, God has helped me—with the help of government and my own personal resources—to build roads, schools, hospitals, primary healthcare centers, and ICT centers,” he outlined.
He argued that his return to the APC strengthens the party’s chances in Yagba Federal Constituency, noting that since his departure around 2016, the party has consistently come second in elections there.
“I left the APC around 2016. Since then, there have been candidates contesting this seat, but the APC has never won my federal constituency. They always come second,” he shared.
Adding, he pointed out that previous margins of defeat showed the APC’s weak footing locally, and said his presence now offers a better opportunity for the party to secure victory.
“During my first election, they came second by a margin of almost 7,000 votes. During my second, they came second by a margin of 19,000 votes. So now that I’m back, isn’t it better for the party to work with me so we have a total result? It will be easier,” he said.
Describing himself as a “grassroots politician,” Hon. Abejide said effective leadership depends on staying close to the people and maintaining constant engagement with communities. He explained that his regular presence in his constituency, including hard-to-reach and insecure areas, has strengthened his connection with voters and shaped his political success.
“I’m a grassroots politician. There is no elected representative who can boast like me that they can go home as I do. I was home two weeks ago and I’m going again; I’m always on the ground. I go everywhere, even where they say there is insecurity.”
Abejide dismissed claims that he triggered legal disputes within the APC, insisting that the controversies arose from procedural errors by the courts rather than political actions on his part.
“I didn’t create any legal battles; they created them for themselves. The judgment says the Court of Appeal had no business giving an order because there was no case before it—it hadn’t even left the Federal High Court. They didn’t say the status quo ante bellum was wrong; they said the procedure was wrong,” he insisted.
Commenting on the Supreme Court judgment in the APC internal legal dispute, Hon. Abejide said it was a reminder to follow due process, noting that the Court of Appeal’s decision was nullified for intervening in a case still before the Federal High Court.
“It means that next time, they should wait. It wasn’t myself or Faleke who went to the Court of Appeal; it was the leadership. The case was still in the Federal High Court, and they didn’t allow it to be adjudicated upon before they moved off,” he said.
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