A federal lawmaker representing Yagba Federal Constituency in Kogi State, Leke Abejide, has formally resigned from the African Democratic Congress, accusing leaders of the opposition coalition of hijacking a party he said he personally built and financed over years of sustained political commitment, describing the decision as painful but necessary to protect his political future and his constituents’ interests.
Abejide, who was twice elected to the House of Representatives on the ADC platform, made the announcement at a press conference in Abuja, stating that he had nurtured the party from obscurity to national recognition and funded its structure as its then national leader before being forced out by those whose entry he said amounted to a hostile takeover.
“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,” he said, without disclosing his next political destination but hinting that it would become clear once he obtained a nomination form from his new party.
The resignation followed the Supreme Court’s reinstatement of the David Mark-led ADC leadership, a development that appeared to settle the party’s internal governance crisis against the faction Abejide had supported. He had previously challenged Mark and the opposition coalition members in court, and described the Supreme Court ruling as the final trigger for his exit.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who holds a prominent position within the ADC, welcomed the apex court’s affirmation of Mark and Rauf Aregbesola’s leadership while cautioning members against complacency. “The road ahead remains long in our cause to take back and rescue our country. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” he said.
However, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Oba Maduabuchi tempered expectations around the ruling, arguing on national television that the Supreme Court had merely corrected an overreach by the Court of Appeal, which had made an order no party had sought, and had not resolved the underlying leadership dispute, which would still be determined at the trial court level.
ADC Chairman-elect in Rivers State, Dr. Chukwudi Dimkpa, described the ruling as a welcome restoration of legal clarity and due process, saying the direction to return substantive issues to the trial court reinforced confidence in Nigeria’s judicial process. He said the Rivers State ADC was using the clarity to intensify preparations for 2027, prioritizing grassroots structures across all 23 local government areas, expanding membership, and building a governance agenda reflecting the aspirations of Rivers people.
