“Stay in ADC, fight them, scatter them” — Gbajabiamila tells Abejide

Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, has advised Leke Abejide to remain in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and resist moves to leave the party.

Speaking in Abuja on Monday during Abejide’s wedding anniversary, Gbajabiamila urged the lawmaker, who represents Yagba Federal Constituency, to ignore calls from Yahaya Bello to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He encouraged Abejide to stay within the ADC and challenge the faction aligned with former Senate President David Mark.

“I know you to be a committed party man… stay in that same ADC, fight them, scatter them,” Gbajabiamila said, adding that Abejide should retain control of the party structure he helped build.

Gbajabiamila also called for collaboration between Abejide and Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is contesting the party’s national chairmanship in an ongoing case before the Federal High Court.

He expressed confidence in Abejide’s political prospects, urging him to seek re-election on the ADC platform while maintaining internal resistance against rival factions.

Abejide, who has publicly backed Tinubu’s re-election bid for 2027, recently stated that he maintains ties with both the APC and ADC. Speaking on Channels Television, he described his political alignment as personal rather than strictly partisan.

“My heart is in the APC and in the ADC,” he said, adding that longstanding relationships across party lines shape his position.

His stance has drawn criticism from some ADC members, who accuse him of anti-party activities.

The internal dispute escalated last week when Abejide and Gombe led a protest to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The group asked the commission to reject the leadership of the Mark-led faction, alleging an attempt to take over the party in violation of its constitution.

Abejide argued that party rules require a minimum period of active membership before contesting leadership positions, accusing the rival group of bypassing due process.

Gombe, speaking at the protest, also called on INEC to uphold internal democracy within the ADC and resist external influence over the party’s leadership structure.