• Melaye accuses Tinubu of sub judice with Villa remarks
• Bello, Gbajabiamila differ on Abejide’s stay in ADC
• Lawmakers knock Presidency over ‘stay and fight’ comment 

A faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, yesterday, dismissed a viral podcast, describing it as the handiwork of agents of coalition propaganda machinery.

In a new twist, former lawmaker, Dino Melaye, accused President Bola Tinubu of attempting to influence the judiciary ahead of a pending verdict by the Supreme Court on ADC’s disputed National Working Committee (NWC).

However, former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, have thrown their weight behind the lawmaker representing Yagba Federal Constituency, Leke Abejide, in the struggle over the control of ADC.

Meanwhile, the ADC National Forum of Serving and Former Legislators (ADC-NF) has condemned recent remarks attributed to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, allegedly urging a party member to remain in ADC and scatter them from within.

ADC said the viral video falsely claimed an elective convention was held at the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola International Stadium, Abuja.

Chief of Staff to the factional National Chairman of ADC, Bala Kumo, stated that the ADC leadership under Gombe had not at any time issued notice of any elective convention to members or authorised such a gathering.

He stressed that the party remains committed to due process, constitutionalism and the rule of law, noting that it would await the outcome of the matter before the Federal High Court as well as a related appeal before the Supreme Court.

MELAYE alleged that Tinubu, during a meeting with Renewed Hope Ambassadors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, subtly signalled the judiciary by referring to an opposition convention as “illegal” despite the matter still being before the courts.

He spoke yesterday at a gathering of serving and former National Assembly members at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, convened to deliberate on the state of democracy ahead of the apex court’s ruling on the legitimacy of the David Mark-led ADC NWC.

“You will see from his speech when he was addressing his coordinators a few days ago, the President prompted the judiciary because he called our convention illegal. So, he has constituted himself to the court, because he now has the power to declare what is legal and what is illegal in a matter pending in court. As of today, no court in Nigeria has pronounced our convention illegal.

“But addressing his coordinators, he was giving a body language and signal to the judiciary by addressing our convention as illegal when no court said so. That is prompting the judiciary; that is very unprecedented,” he added.

BELLO and Gbajabiamila, however, offered contrasting strategies to Abejide during a dinner in Abuja in honour of his wife’s 50th birthday.

The former governor called on Abejide to return to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing him as a resilient politician whose experience and loyalty would be valuable to the ruling party.

He commended Abejide’s performance in the National Assembly and his support for the present administration, insisting that the APC remains the best political platform for him.

“Take this message home—we want Leke back in APC,” Bello declared, urging his supporters to rally behind the move.

In contrast, Gbajabiamila advised Abejide to remain in the ADC and defend the structure he has built over the years. He praised the lawmaker’s rare feat of winning elections repeatedly on the platform of a relatively smaller party, noting that such political capital should not be surrendered.

“Stay in ADC. Fight. Hold on to your party. Don’t allow anyone to take it from you,” Gbajabiamila said, describing Abejide as a “dogged fighter” who thrives against the odds.

THE forum warned that such statements, if accurately reported, raise serious concerns about political interference, judicial independence, and the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on behalf of the forum yesterday, a member of the 8th National Assembly, Nnenna Ukeje, said Nigeria’s democratic institutions were under unusual strain and called for restraint by political actors, especially on matters before the courts.

They also referenced remarks attributed to President Tinubu describing the ADC national convention as a street convention, arguing that such language was dismissive of democratic participation and opposition politics.

There has been widespread criticism on social media following the remarks reportedly made by Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, in which he allegedly encouraged Abejide, to “stay in ADC and scatter them.”

A video of the event, which surfaced, showed the Chief of Staff urging the lawmaker, who belongs to the Gombe faction of the party, to remain within the ADC and intensify internal struggles.

Reacting, the forum said: “When the Chief of Staff to the President says ‘fight them, scatter them; we are happy with you, we would support you to triumph in the courts’, it is safe to conclude that he does not speak in isolation; he conveys the leanings of the President and the Presidency.”