Abuja, Nigeria — Hon. Leke Joseph Abejide, the two-term member representing Yagba East/West/Mopamuro Federal Constituency of Kogi State, has rejected moves to have his seat in the House of Representatives declared vacant, describing the push as unconstitutional and driven by “political impostors.”
Abejide’s team was reacting to a petition reportedly sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, by figures claiming to be leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kogi State. The petition, dated 11 November 2025, urges the Speaker to declare the Yagba seat vacant on the grounds of Abejide’s alleged expulsion from the party.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Public Communications, Bashiru Abdul Mohammed, Abejide’s camp insisted that the petitioners, Kingsley Temitope Ogga and Adaji John Udale, have “no locus standi” to challenge the lawmaker’s mandate, alleging that both men were long ago expelled from ADC at the ward level, with their sanctions ratified by local government, state and national organs of the party.
Mohammed accused the duo of attempting to “mislead the public” through media publications he said were driven by malice rather than fact. He described their actions as a “non-issue from the start,” stressing that individuals who are no longer members of ADC cannot purport to speak for the party or file valid petitions on its behalf.
The controversy comes months after the Kogi ADC chapter announced Abejide’s suspension over alleged insubordination and anti-party activities, a move that has deepened internal rifts in the party. Abejide, the sole ADC member in the House and a former governorship candidate in Kogi, has been a vocal critic of attempts to “forcefully take over” the party’s national structure.
Mohammed urged Ogga and Udale to “educate themselves” on Sections 68 and 109 of the 1999 Constitution, which spell out the conditions under which National Assembly and State Assembly seats may be declared vacant, including defection to another party without a division or merger. Legal commentators note that courts have increasingly insisted that such sanctions must strictly follow due process.
He further argued that those behind the petition lack moral authority to invoke constitutional provisions, accusing the ADC national leadership itself of breaching its own constitution in earlier internal disputes. Mohammed warned the petitioners against “continued impersonation,” saying their actions could attract legal consequences.
Confident that the Speaker will dismiss the petition once fully briefed, Abejide’s camp reiterated that he was duly re-elected and that his mandate “remains intact and strongly defended” by supporters across Yagba Federal Constituency.
