ADC expels Leke Abejide, Kogi lawmaker, over serial misconduct and anti-party activities, confirming Kogi chapter’s earlier decision
Abuja, 23 November 2023 — The African Democratic Congress National Working Committee has ratified the expulsion of Kogi federal lawmaker Leke Abejide over alleged serial acts of indiscipline, confirming an earlier decision by the Kogi State chapter.
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The announcement, made at the conclusion of the NWC meeting in Abuja, follows weeks of internal disputes and a formal request by the Kogi chapter asking the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to declare the Yagba Federal Constituency seat vacant.
In a statement issued by National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, the party reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on internal misconduct.
“The party reaffirmed that it would not tolerate any acts of indiscipline from its members as it seeks to build a party governed by discipline, character, and integrity,” the committee said.
The NWC also directed the Kogi leadership to begin immediately filling vacant positions at the ward, local government, and state levels, in line with approved transition guidelines ahead of forthcoming congresses.
Earlier, the Kogi ADC had formally written to Speaker Abbas, notifying him of Abejide’s expulsion and urging the House to declare his seat vacant.
The correspondence, jointly signed by State Chairman Kingsley Ogga and Secretary Adaji Udale, accused the two-term lawmaker of gross misconduct, anti-party activities, and defiance of earlier disciplinary measures, including a suspension on 4 August.
The chapter also cited Abejide’s public statements against the party on national television and other media platforms as evidence of escalating offences.
Abejide, however, mounted a counter-offensive, dismissing the expulsion as a ploy by individuals he claimed no longer had legal standing in the ADC.
Through his Special Adviser on Public Communications, Bashiru Mohammed, the lawmaker’s team described Ogga and Udale as acting without authority and misleading the public with a malicious petition.
“The leadership of the ADC has long expelled the duo,” Mohammed said. Abejide’s team insisted that his mandate remained unshaken, urging the new party hierarchy to consider Sections 68 and 109 of the constitution, which outline the grounds for declaring parliamentary seats vacant.
“The ADC, which flagrantly failed to respect the constitution of the party at the national level, following Nwosu’s resignation, cannot refer to the superior constitution of Nigeria at the state level,” the statement added.
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Abejide’s supporters remain firmly behind him as the party navigates ongoing internal disputes, raising questions about the enforcement of disciplinary measures and constitutional interpretation within Nigerian political parties.
