A member of the House of Representatives and leader of a faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Joseph Leke Abejide, has criticised frequent political defections, describing them as harmful to party stability.
NOP NIGERIA reports that Abejide made this known during a press conference in Abuja.
The lawmaker said constant movement of politicians between parties undermines efforts to build a strong political platform.
He stressed that sustained commitment is necessary for any party seeking long-term relevance.
Abejide noted that he has remained a member of the ADC since 2017, underscoring the importance of loyalty in party development.
According to him, consistency among members is key to strengthening party structures and credibility.
The lawmaker also expressed reservations about recent developments within the party, including its national convention.
He emphasised the need for strict adherence to laid-down procedures to maintain internal cohesion. Abejide urged party leaders to address ongoing internal challenges without delay.
He warned that unresolved disputes could affect the party’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections.
The lawmaker added that resolving the crisis is critical to strengthening the ADC and ensuring effective participation in future electoral processes.
Abejide said, “I am not a Political Merchant running from one party to another party. I have been in ADC since 2017 and never changed parties. But many of the coalition leaders have moved from PDP to ACN to APC, back to PDP, to APGA, to Labour Party, to NPP, to ADC, and so on. Our resistance in resisting them is because of their habitual character of Political use and dumping.”
Abejide said it was unfortunate that the David Mark group was not ready to do the right thing, going ahead to organise what he called “suya convention.”
While rejecting the recent expulsion from the party during the National Convention, Abejide said those who are claiming to expel him were not known to the party by the party constitution because they are not registered members of the party.
He said, “Where were these people when we were building the ADC. I have been a member of the ADC since 2017. I have not gone to any party. We built this party when they were jumping from one party to another. They have been in PDP, APC, ACN, NNPP, Labour Party, APGA, and now ADC.”
While describing the April 14 national convention of the ADC in Abuja as “suya convention,” Abejide said the convention was null and void ab initio, having been conducted in violation of the laws of the Electoral Act and the 1999 constitution.
He said, “There is an existing Court Order from the Federal High Court and the Supreme Court, respectively, that they should not do anything pending the determination of the case in Court, especially the Supreme Court. But to everybody’s amazement, these people flagrantly disobeyed the Court and went and gathered in a place to hold an illegal Convention. This attitude is treasonable, and it is an affront against the Judiciary, of which many of them have once been beneficiaries!
“However, it is not surprising that these crops of politicians are not progressing and not in a progressive way, this is evident in the abandoned PDP Secretariat uncompleted despite decades in governance. These are politicians who were in PDP hitherto and could not manage a political party. A group of people who cannot finish just a Secretariat cannot be trusted with National matters.
“You can see the completion of the NRS house within a short time, as the government wants to forcefully take over through all sorts of manipulation and lies to the citizens of the Country and the international communities.
“We can see many monumental edifices across the country been built within a space of 3 years and commissioned. If they are progressive, should they be looking for where to organize their Convention? That is why people are avoiding them because of their illegality, not because anyone is intimidated from giving them space to assemble in fulfilment of their constitutional rights.
“It is not a Convention, but an unlawful assembly outlawed, and it is even against Section 100(b) of the FCT Penal Code Act to resist the execution and implementation of a legal process.”
Speaking on his supposed suspension from the party, Abejide said, “I see it as a laughable phenomenon from an illegal group of people who came to destroy the African Democratic Congress in the same way they destroyed all the political parties they exited from. First, I am not in politics because of money but for service to humanity, and I have demonstrated this in the last seven (7) years in my Federal Constituency of Yagba. This can be verified as not an abstract thing.
“In Kogi State, I nurtured ADC into recognition, having two (2) House of Representatives Members in the 2023 general elections. I came to the House of Reps alone from the state under ADC in 2019. But in 2023, due to my superlative performance both on the floor and at home, many people believed in my leadership and joined me, and this spread to the next Federal Constituency of Kabba-Bunu/ Ijumu, benefiting ADC. ADC equally produced State Assembly Members in Kogi State in 2023. One of them was rigged by the APC.
“I equally contested the gubernatorial election in Kogi State under ADC, and the party became known to the whole State. Who claimed to have suspended me from the party that time? They were in PDP describing ADC as a party without Governors to back me. They even said they had thirteen (13) Governors behind them who would help them (PDP people) to win.
“I am not a Political Merchant running from one party to another party. I have been in ADC since 2017 and never changed parties. But many of the coalition leaders have moved from PDP to ACN to APC back to PDP to APGA to LABOUR PARTY to NPP to ADC, and so on. Our resistance to resisting them is because of their habitual character of Political use and dumping.
“My so-called suspension and that of Hon Nafiu Bala Gombe is contempt of court orders of both the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court, and as such, I have briefed my Lawyers on possible litigation against their purported suspension for record purposes, which is a visitation of hostility on me while my case is in Court. The principles of Law forbid this; in our jurisprudence is called Lis pendis.
“You can see clearly that the party hijackers have no interest in ADC at heart. They only came to steal, kill, and destroy, and it is evident in the manner they are doing things with impunity, not minding some Laws guide our conduct.”
