By Jane Okafor, Abuja
Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has stirred political controversy after urging a “suspended” member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Leke Abejide, to remain in the opposition party and destabilise it from within.
Gbajabiamila made the remarks over the weekend in Abuja during Abejide’s wedding anniversary, dismissing calls by former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello for the lawmaker to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I know you to be a committed party man, I know you to be somebody who does not like to be cheated, so my charge to you is to stay in that same ADC, fight them, scatter them. You should hold on to your party ADC, do not allow them, we like what you’re doing,” Gbajabiamila said.
He also encouraged Abejide to align with the embattled and “suspended” self-acclaimed ADC national chairman, Nafiu Bala, who is currently locked in a legal battle over the party’s leadership at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
“I know the former governor said you should come and join APC, no, no, stay in ADC, win your re-election in ADC, and you will. Bring Bala Gombe, and we will support you. Do the right thing, you’re the party, do the right thing, nobody can come and take your party away from you, a party that you built for years with your sweat and your money, and everything; no, continue, good luck in court,” Tinubu’s Chief of Staff added.
The comments come amid a deepening leadership crisis within the ADC, with factions loyal to former Senate President David Mark and Nafiu Bala battling for control.
Abejide, who represents Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State, has faced criticism over alleged anti-party activities but recently reaffirmed his dual political leanings.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, he said, “My heart is in the APC, and in the ADC. It is not a crime, because I have brothers that I cannot separate from who are in the APC, and I cannot separate from them because of politics.”
When asked about his preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential election, Abejide added, “Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and it’s not about party.”
Tensions escalated further last week when Abejide, alongside Bala’s ally, led a protest to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging the commission to reject the Mark-led faction and recognise their leadership.
“We are here to urge INEC to do the right thing and rescue democracy from the hands of usurpers. How do you come to a party and attempt to hijack the leadership on the same day? Which political platform is that done?
“The party constitution is clear about this; you have to spend at least two years in the ADC as an active member before you can aspire for any position. It is clear that the commission has not erred,” Abejide said.
“These people are hijackers, and INEC must follow through on reverting to status quo ante bellum by recognising Nafiu Bala Gombe as the national chairman of the party,” he added.
Backing the stance, Bala stressed adherence to due process in resolving the dispute.
“We are here to urge INEC to follow due process. You cannot come to the ADC through the window and expect to overturn its owners. As democrats, we don’t want any moneybags to come and destroy democracy. The ADC is for all Nigerians from wards, states to national levels,” he said.
The crisis has cast uncertainty over the ADC’s role as a platform for opposition coalition members ahead of the 2027 elections, leaving aspirants in a state of dilemma as timelines draw closer.
