A prominent figure of the African Democratic Congress from Kogi State, Leke Abejide, has said that the proposed coalition involving elements of the party is doomed to fail.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, Abejide not only rejected the alliance outright but also reiterated his steadfast support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, casting serious doubt on the viability of the emerging political coalition.
Abejide’s remarks came on the heels of the announcement by the now-former National Chairman of the ADC, Ralph Nwosu, who revealed that party leaders had voluntarily stepped down to allow the party to chart a new course. This development, Nwosu said, was aimed at repositioning the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In his reaction, Abejide dismissed the coalition as an exercise that would ultimately lead nowhere.
“Well, let me start from what Dumebi said, that, you cannot be a member except you are two years. Dumebi himself, I don’t think he’s a member of this party. He joined us in 2023. I knew him, only when they came back from the so-called convention that they have elected him as presidential candidate, and they brought him to my house, the former national chairman now, brought him to my house, and I told him, I don’t deceive. I’m for Asiwaju. So I cannot tell you I’m going to support you,” he said.
“I’m going to support the now president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I don’t want you to see me on television tomorrow and say that I deceived you. So that was the first time I knew him as a party member.”
Abejide went on to stress his long-standing role in the ADC, highlighting how, in his view, the party largely exists only in Kogi State.
“I have been in this party since, and I’m the face of ADC in Nigeria. I believe you can see so. If you say ADC, it’s only existing in Kogi State,” he added.
Commenting further on the wave of resignations and defections, he said:
“So the development, well, as president said, he said there is, freedom of association. You can go… tomorrow now, I can decide to go to APC. Nobody can stop me.”
“So for them to come to ADC, it is their own right to do that. So to me, and for national Chairman who resigned, it is his own right to resign and go to any place he wants. But as for me, that coalition is not going to end anywhere.”
He emphatically repeated:
“It’s not going to end anywhere. It’s not going to end anywhere. It’s not going to end anywhere.”
Abejide also disclosed that despite attempts by coalition leaders to get him involved, he consistently declined all invitations.
“The national chairman spoke with me. They tried, but I didn’t attend any of their meetings. There’s nothing that they didn’t do. I didn’t attend any of their meetings because I don’t believe in this. So, something that I know is not going to work, is not going to bring any success,” he concluded.
Watch video of interview here:
