ADC Confirms Rep Leke Abejide’s Expulsion, NWC Backs Kogi Committee

The National Working Committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has ratified the decision of its Kogi State Executive Committee to expel Hon. Leke Abejide from the party, citing alleged acts of indiscipline.

The expulsion was confirmed on Thursday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Bolaji Abdullahi, in a briefing with journalists at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.

Abejide, the only serving federal lawmaker elected on the African Democratic Congress platform, has openly rejected the coalition-led takeover process of the party and remained vocal in his criticism, even as he publicly expressed commitment to back the re-election bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Njoku’s pro-status stance was likened by observers to the internal dissent seen during Nyesom Wike’s positioning in the Peoples Democratic Party.

In August, the Kogi State Working Committee of the African Democratic Congress had suspended Abejide and four other party members, Dr. Idris Omede, Hon. Johnson Tayo, Lukman Adedayo Usman and Olabode Kayode Kayode, over allegations bordering on anti-party activities and insubordination.

State Secretary, John Adaji, had announced the decision while addressing journalists in Lokoja, the capital of Lokoja.

“Insubordination and anti-party conduct will not be accepted in ADC,” Adaji had said at the time.

The suspension had triggered a backlash from a faction loyal to Abejide, which accused State Chairman, Kingsley Ogga, of having been expelled since 2022, starting from his ward and escalating to the local government chapter.

Ogga’s camp had dismissed the claim at the time, describing the faction’s position as illegitimate and without standing under party rules.

After its emergency resolution meeting held on Thursday at the ADC national headquarters in Abuja, the party NWC upheld the Kogi State committee’s disciplinary action, officially approving Abejide’s expulsion.

The party reaffirmed its position to prioritise structural discipline while consolidating leadership integrity ahead of upcoming congresses.

“We won’t tolerate any form of indiscipline,” National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said after the meeting.

“We are working to consolidate our structure around discipline, character and integrity.”

The NWC also directed the Kogi State leadership to fill all vacant positions across ward, local government and state executive committees in line with earlier transition guidelines, adding that dates for the forthcoming congresses would be announced soon.

“A joint committee is working on repositioning, and after recommendations, a pilot congress framework may emerge,” Abdullahi added, hinting at structural reform without reversing the ban on indiscipline.

The leadership of the caretaker committee confirmed it had undertaken comparative learning visits to Kenya, Gambia and South Africa to study internal party cohesion systems.